Karim Benzema has threatened to sue France’s Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who accused him of having connections with a terrorist group.
Minister Darmanin was reacting to comments made by Benzema on X, formerly known as Twitter, where the Al Ittihad forward sent his prayers to the people of Gaza.
His uncanny reaction was due to the French footballer failing to send his sympathy to Israeli victims of the Hamas-Gaza conflict.
Speaking in an interview with Television broadcasting channel CNews, Gerald Darmanin shared his comments on the terrorist group apparently called “the Muslim Brotherhood”.
Karim Benzema, who currently plys his trade in Saudi Arabia, has permitted his lawyer in Paris to put out a strong denial of the allegations and also threatened to take legal action against the French Minister.
Karim Benzema threatens France’s Interior Minister over terrorist claims
Legal representative Hugues Vigier said: “Karim Benzema has never had the least relationship with this organisation.
“Praying for a civilian population living under bombs… is neither propaganda for Hamas, nor complicity in terrorism, nor an act of collaboration.”
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin also made his position clear on the comments made by Benzema’s lawyers, stressing that he won’t back down on his allegations.
Darmanin also made it known that he would retract his comments if Karim Benzema shared another tweet condemning the Islamist murder of a school teacher in Arras on October 13, 2023.
The 41-year-old said: “The Muslim Brotherhood is insidious. It uses all the means available in our society to get across its message of a strict Islam…. Not to see this is to be naive. Let’s stop being naive!”
What is the Muslim Brotherhood?
The Muslim Brotherhood is an 80-year-old movement that started in Egypt and has been a reference point for many contemporary Islamist groups, including Hamas.
They have been banned from operating in countries like Saudi Arabia, and Egypt amongst other nations in the Middle East.
However, in most of the nations in Europe, they do not regard the organization as a terrorist group.
The Muslim Brotherhood has no formal structure, and its influence in the European continent is majorly seen through massive organizations crusading for Islamic “rights”.
Minister Gerald Darmanin’s comments on Karim Benzema have received stern reactions, with oppositions terming his actions as politically motivated.
Benzema has over time been shrouded in bad light with regards to the French public, as he has been seen by many individuals to be a troublemaker.
Why has Karim Benzema been linked to the terrorist group?
Meanwhile, the French footballer has reportedly been linked with the Muslim Brotherhood, due to his “strict Islam characteristic”.
Those reports pointed towards Karim Benzema’s refusal to sing the French national anthem during matches for Les Blues, and his urge to seemingly win people over to his religion via social media.
The 35-year-old as aforementioned currently plays for Al Ittihad, and he joined the club on a free transfer on July 1, 2023.
Benzema has made 8 appearances for the Saudi Pro League club this season, scoring 4 goals and providing 2 assists so far.
The Frenchman has represented only three clubs in his career, notably; Olympique Lyon, Real Madrid, and Al Ittihad.
He has had a largely successful career, winning several trophies and individual honours.
Benzema has won 5 UEFA Champions League titles, 5 FIFA Club World Cups, 4 La Liga titles, and 4 Ligue 1 titles amongst others.
Individually, the 35-year-old also won the 2022 Ballon d’Or award for his exploits in the 2021/22 season, and many other individual awards.
Karim Benzema has scored 424 goals and provided 194 assists in 804 club appearances so far in his career.
Internationally, Benzema made 97 appearances for France, scoring 37 goals and providing 20 assists in all competitions.
