Slave of Qatar": Nasser Zefzafi's scathing response to Khadija Benguenna
Even behind the bars of the "Tanger 2" prison, Nasser Zefzafi makes his voice heard. The leader of the Hirak of the Rif has broken his silence to address a vehement letter to the star journalist of Al Jazeera, the Algerian Khadija Benguenna. At issue: the latter’s mockery of the famous Congolese supporter "Lumumba", who has become a true icon of the CAN in Morocco.
The controversy has crossed the walls of the prison. Outraged by the treatment reserved for Michel Kuka Mboladinga, this Congolese supporter who remained impassive during the matches to honor the memory of Patrice Lumumba, Nasser Zefzafi did not mince his words.
In a message relayed by his brother Tarek on Facebook, the detainee lambasted the attitude of the presenter, who had described the supporter as a "creature" in a post since deleted.
"You don’t know the meaning of dignity"
The charge is violent. "From me, Nasser Zefzafi, a short message to the slave Khadija Benguenna... There is a world of difference between the legendary supporter who embodied the leader Patrice Lumumba [...] and the one who embodies slavery in the municipality of Qatar," wrote the leader of the Hirak.
For Zefzafi, the journalist’s attitude and that of the Algerian player Mohamed Amine Amoura - who had mimicked the supporter before apologizing - stem from the same ignorance. "Neither you nor the player who expressed the baseness of his morals know the meaning of dignity and freedom," he said.
The affair began after the elimination of Congo against Algeria. Khadija Benguenna had posted an ironic message: "Haram, والله... the creature remained standing for 120 minutes... let him go rest now." Considered offensive and an attack on human dignity, the publication caused an uproar, prompting the journalist to delete it and change her tune by belatedly praising the symbolism of African resistance.
For his part, the "Lumumba" supporter, a true star of this Moroccan CAN for his stoicism and his resemblance to the father of Congolese independence, has received honors from CAF. President Patrice Motsepe personally met him, describing the exchange as a "special moment with one of the symbols of the stands." An official recognition that contrasts with the mockery from elsewhere.
