Press Releases

FA guilty of double-standards on tackling racism - 20 March 2007

20 March 2007, London: The outcome of yesterday’s disciplinary hearing at the Football Association, where Newcastle player and Turkish international Emre was cleared of racism, prompted human rights group Embargoed! to question the FA's ethics for failing to tackle mass racism against a Turkish Cypriot fan. At the end of 2006, Arsenal season ticket holder Mete Ahmed was racially abused by Greek and Greek Cypriots for displaying his North Cyprus flag at the Emirates stadium. An online petition to have Mete's flag banned at Arsenal Football Club resulted in over 600 racist and Islamaphobic comments. Handed into Arsenal, the petition prompted the club to ban all national flags, while the FA has refused to address the issue despite repeated requests by Embargoed!

"While we applaud the seriousness the FA has shown in investigating the Emre issue, where's the same concern for the racial abuse directed at Mete? The FA's disinterest in Mete's wellbeing and their failure to condemn the racist comments on the 'igreek' petition smacks of double-standards.” says Fevzi Hussein, Embargoed! Head of NGO Relations. He added, “Today, racism not only affects Black people – racism takes many forms and if the FA cannot recognize these, then it is completely out of touch with multi-cultural Britain and should brush up on its equality and diversity training!”

The abuse against Mete has been condemned by the Turkish Police Officers Association and anti-racism bodies Kick it Out, Show Racism the Red Card, and NAAR (National Assembly Against Racism).
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Notes to editors

“igreek petition”– the online petition to ban Mete Ahmed’s flag has been dubbed "igreek" as its creators claimed to be the founders of the igreek.co.uk website

About Embargoed! – www.embargoed.org
Embargoed! is an independent human rights group campaigning for the immediate and unconditional end to all embargoes against North Cyprus. The group was launched on 4 March 2005 and aims to play an active role in raising awareness about the isolation of North Cyprus and lobbying world leaders and institutions to restore the fundamental political, economic and social rights of Turkish Cypriots.

Contact Embargoed!:
• Telephone/fax: + 44 (0)20 8279 8561 • Email: mail@embargoed.org;
• Post: Embargoed! Suite 205, 14 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 1JY

Press Enquiries:
Ms. Ýpek Özerim
M: +44 (0)777 623 0466
E: campaigns@embargoed.org



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