Club apologise for sacking director over Gaza post

Three days after her appointment for a position involving the Israel-Gaza war, Dagenham and Redbridge have offered an apology.

Salma Mashhour joined the club’s ownership group on April 14th, along with Egyptian YouTuber Marwan Serry, who was appointed director of development and engagement. Their goal is to expand their global reach.

However, the club announced in a quick statement on April 17 that Mashhour had been fired “immediately.”

The National League side’s managing director Steve Thompson stated in an interview with the Jewish News that “we do not tolerate racism, discrimination, or support for terrorism of any kind.”

Mashhour stated in a now-deleted Instagram post from October 2023 that she did not condemn Hamas but that she did so because she “condemned the brutal occupation, apartheid, international law violations, and illegal settlements that led to this genocide”!

The club stated in a statement on Friday that: “Over the past week, there has been a lot of public discussion and concern about the club’s recent decision to end its association with Dr. Salma Mashhour.

We are aware of the strong reactions this has sparked in our fan base, media, and wider communities, both domestically and abroad.

We want to address this directly and clearly. The club respects the right of people to express their political opinions in their own words, despite our ongoing campaign against racism and discrimination of any kind.

We regret and make amends for any harm that might have been caused by statements made in connection with the club’s decision to remove her.

The removal of Dr. Mashhour does not constitute an acknowledgement that Dr. Mashhour supports messages of hatred and division, and statements made by the club that might be interpreted as suggesting Dr. Salma supports terrorism or engages in racist or discriminatory behavior are inaccurate and do not reflect the club’s position in relation to Dr. Salma.

In response to a previously unheard cross-border attack on October 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage, the Israeli military launched a campaign to take down Hamas.