Some Beitar Jerusalem Fans Want Football Player to Change His 'Muslim' Name

“Mohamed is dead” and “Ali is dead” were just some of the chants heard during an Israeli football club’s open training session last month. They were hurled towards Ali Mohamed, a player who recently signed with Beitar Jerusalem.

Mohamed has become a fixation for Beitar Jerusalem’s far-right supporters, an infamous group of fans who call themselves “La Familia,” according to a report by CNN. They claim his name is "too Muslim" and are demanding that he change it.

This is regardless of the fact that Ali Mohamed is Christian.

Beitar Jerusalem has a notoriously racist reputation with a long history of anti-Muslim and anti-Arab rhetoric. Moshe Hogeg, who bought the club last August, is working towards changing this.

“They love the club and what it represents. But they’re racist and that’s a big problem,” he said. “And this small group has affected the name of hundreds of thousands of amazing Beitar fans that are not racist at all.”

In 2013, arsonists attacked the club’s offices days after it signed two Muslim players from a Russian League club. At the time, fans screamed racial epithets at many a game. The club has also previously grabbed headlines for abusing Muslim opponents. In 2015, its then-manager, Guy Levy, said he “did not think it’s the right time” to sign an Arab player, that it would cause “damage.”

Beitar Jerusalem is the only major Israeli club not to have signed an Arab Muslim player. Hogeg, however, told AFP last August that religion would no longer be a criterion when it comes to signing new players for the club.

La Familia released a statement on their Facebook page, saying, “…we have no problem whatsoever with [Ali Mohamed] since he is a devout Christian. But we do have a problem with his name. We will make sure his name is changed so that Mohamed is not heard at [Beiter's] Teddy Stadium.”

Their post has since been deleted.

In retaliation, Hogeg has threatened fans with lawsuits. While these haven’t been filed yet, Hogeg’s lawyers have sent warning letters to three fans.

“As long as the player that comes respects the city, respects what he represents, respects Israel, can help the team, and wants to play – then the door will be open,” Hogeg told CNN.

Hogeg has promised that the club’s next season will feature a shirt with the Beitar logo, a menorah, a Star of David, “with a sentence from the Bible on the back.”

“Below that you will have ‘Mohamed’ on the shirt, and you will have the fans calling his name.”

Find Meera on Twitter and Instagram.