Maradona Is Palestinian

Diego Maradona (Instagram / @ maradona)

JAKARTA - The death of Diego Armando Maradona spreads sorrow in the world. Palestine is no exception. One day, Maradona met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and declared himself a "Palestinian".

The meeting with Mahmoud Abbas took place in Moscow Russia. At that time Mahmoud Abbas was watching the 2018 World Cup final.

Maradona meets Mahmoud Abbas. The two of them hugged and greeted their faces. Maradona said to Abbas, "In my heart, I am Palestinian."

Quoted from Middleeasteye.net, in Mahmoud Abbas's arms, Maradona also expressed his sympathy for the struggle of the Palestinian people. After the meeting, Maradona uploaded a moment with Mahmoud Abbas to his Instagram account.

Maradona wrote: I am a Palestinian. This man wants peace in Palestine. President Abbas owns the state and has rights.

Maradona's support for Palestine

Mahmoud Abbas praised Maradona in return, giving Maradona a gift of a painting of a dove carrying an olive branch. A symbol of peace.

Maradona himself has long expressed his open support for the Palestinian struggle. In 2012, when he coached the United Arab Emirates national team, for example.

The Hand of God at that time declared himself to be the number one supporter of the Palestinian people. One year since that statement Maradona again voiced support for Palestine wearing a kafiyeh turban. Maradona also said, "Long live Palestine!"

In 2014, Maradona criticized Israel for its attacks on the Gaza Strip. Maradona said what Israel is doing to Palestinians is a shame.

Here's what happened when Diego Maradona met Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia pic.twitter.com/7Sdod46TV4

- Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) November 26, 2020

For Palestinians living under Israeli occupation, Maradona is an inspiration. Journalist The Palestine Chronicle, Ramzy Baroud said: In Palestine, you cannot hate Maradona. The choice is only to love him and not be able to argue badly about him.

"Maradona gave us inspiration. A man who was not big, came from a slum, brown like us, but was as passionate and passionate as we were, and then found his way to be known around the world. For us, it was not just about football. or sports. It's about hope. Because it feels like everything is possible, "said Baroud.

"You can imagine how happy we are when Maradona cares for Palestine, and supports our cause. It feels like our joy is complete. Especially when he conveyed moral support for Palestine in July 2018 by saying, 'In my heart, I am a Palestinian'."

God's hand against colonialism

As we discussed in the article "The Ideological Meaning of How Socialist Maradona is in the Hand of His God" on the Memory channel, Maradona was the main enemy of colonialism. Even his famous hand of God goal was a resistance to British colonialism in Argentina.

The goal "God's hand" was created by Maradona in a match against England in the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup, Mexico. Emir Kusturica, documentary film director, Maradona (2008) revealed that the goal was a political goal. Maradona, said Kusturica, presented the goal as a form of revenge for Britain's decision to call for an attack on the Malvinas Islands in 1982.

For Maradona, fighting England is not just a gridiron business, but has become a personal matter. Maradona is known to hate traces of British colonialism in Argentina.

Maradona also called God's hand goal as a reward for England's action "stealing" Malvinas. This anti-colonialism attitude has been rooted in Maradona since Britain was entrenched as a colonialist in Argentina during the 19th to 20th centuries.

At that time, like other colonialism, the British came to Argentina to exploit all the resources of the country, from the rail network, banks, docks, convenience stores, to culture. Historian David Downing describes the situation. "Everything is mastered, except the name."

Maradona is Palestinian. Like all Palestinians, occupation is its main enemy.