Liverpool Football Club right winger Mohammed Salah in an effort to speak out against the ongoing hunger and war in Gaza queried Union of European Football Association’s—UEFA— farewell post of Suleiman al-Obeid, the ‘Palestinian Pelé’, in a statement via X.
UEFA had in post bided farewell to the late footballer, eulogizing the deceased, it wrote: “farewell to Suleiman al-Obeid, the ‘Palestinian Pelé’. A talent who gave hope to countless children, even in the darkest of times.”
However, Mo Salah had thrown criticism at the union and demanded for more explanation to how ‘Palestinian Pelé’ died, He queried: “Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?”
41-year-old al-Obeid died on Aug 6, in southern Gaza while awaiting aid, the Palestinian Football Association –PFA– reports he was killed by Israeli forces targeting civilians.
The former Palestinian national soccer team player and star of Gaza’s Al-Shati’a Services Club was killed by Israeli “bullets,” that “targeted” Palestinians who were “waiting for humanitarian aid in southern Gaza,” the PFA said in a statement in Arabic.
Al-Obeid represented the Palestinian National Team 24 times, scoring two goals for the team — the most famous of which was a bicycle kick against Yemen’s National Team in the West Asian Federation’s 2010 cup, according to the association.
According to PFA the deceased leaves behind his wife, two sons and three daughters.
Under Salah’s comment section, some have praised him for speaking out against war and hunger in Gaza.
@Milxann wrote: “Thank you Salah for speaking up! UEFA’s tweet is a disgrace! “Farewell”?! He’s not going anywhere; he was killed whilst waiting for Aid to take back home to his family! He was killed for being a Palestinian! He was shot and killed by the IDF intentionally!”
@ankarali9006: “Well done, Salah! Finally a top player brave enough to ask what everyone else is afraid to say. Respect.”
@bass4themasses: “As a lifelong United fan I can only say that I respect the hell out of you for using your voice for good ❤️”
@Montical_ disagreed with Salah’s post: “I’ve lost my respect for you, I go to every home game ever since I was young. Are the IDF killing Civilians? Yes. Do I agree with it? No. But what’s not being talked about are the food trucks coming through? Yes. Are Hams taking the food, selling it for 50x the amount and using it to kill innocent Jews? Yes. Israel is literally allowing food trucks inside, where many of the aid goes to Hamas not the innocent Civilians. In result Israel are feeding Hamas the terror group killing thousands of Jews.”
While @SZade15 knocked the footballer’s silence over the war between Israel and Palestine all of this while, wondering he hadn’t made any statement till now, in his words: “Did you just wake up? After 2 years of genocide, now you finally speak and even then, with a cryptic tone? Looks like you’re just washing your hands of the silence that made you complicit.”
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