Last Updated: November 24, 2023, 01:00 IST
Football Association (FA) council member Wasim Haq on Thursday resigned from his position after being suspended over a social media publish concerning the Israel-Hamas battle.
Haq, who joined the FA as a BAME Football Communities Representative in 2019, was suspended by English soccer’s governing physique this month over a publish saying “Adolf Hitler would be proud of (Israel’s Prime Minister) Benjamin Netanyahu”, which he has since deleted.
On Thursday, Haq shared a replica of his resignation letter addressed to FA chair Debbie Hewitt in a publish on social media platform X, previously Twitter.
“Recent events have left me bereft of energy and hope. I have felt overwhelmed at how this has transpired,” the letter learn.
“As someone who has worked closely with many Jewish people over the years and created meaningful and valued friendships, the most painful part of this process is knowing that some of those friends and colleagues may not forgive me for the misunderstanding and hurt I have unintentionally caused.
“I take full responsibility and reiterate my apology to them and all those affected.”
Haq added that his unique publish was a “direct criticism of a politician.
“In expressing these feelings, I chose the wrong words entirely and that has impacted the leadership position that I hold at The FA,” Haq stated.
Haq additionally stated he was planning to interact with members of the Jewish neighborhood “to share and understand”.
“We accept Wasim Haq’s resignation from his role on the FA Council with immediate effect,” the FA stated in a press release despatched to Reuters.
“We also reiterate our stance that football is about unity and not division, and we welcome his apology to the Jewish community for the unacceptable comments that he made on social media.”
Haq was additionally faraway from his roles as an impartial councillor on the Lawn Tennis Association(LTA) and Director of England Golf.
(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is printed from a syndicated information company feed – Reuters)
