Ian Hodson, the National President, Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union speaking ahead of a Sportswashing Forum in Newcastle this Friday has made an appeal to trade unionists and all football fans.
He said:
“The passion of the terraces and the joy of your team’s success in football is more than just a game; it has the power to unite people of all backgrounds.
We can’t let those individuals, corporations, groups, governments or countries whose integrity is questionable or reasons dishonest to be able to wipe out their crimes against humanity to hide away the injustices and inequalities they operate by owning our football clubs.
This is why as a football supporter and a trade unionist I feel strongly we must act collectively. We mustn’t allow this attempt to use our beautiful game to divert our attention from their human rights issues, corruption, crimes or scandals. I support the campaign to end sportswashing and put football back in the hands of the fans.”
Sportswashing forum
NUFC Fans Against Sportswashing (NUFCFAS) is hosting a Sportswashing Forum on 26 April and the group invites participants who want to discuss the effect the Saudi state takeover of the club has had on local press coverage of the issues and on local democracy.
They also invite Sheffield United fans who are in the city for the game to give their perspective regarding the links their owner has with the Saudi regime.Speakers include:
Ian Hodson: National President of the Bakers Union,
Jane Byrne: Monument Ward Councillor (Labour and Cooperative)
Andrew Feinstein: Writer, campaigner, exANC MP, wrote The Shadow World: Inside the Global Arms Trade
Mustafa Qadri: Founder of EQUIDEM, the human rights and labour rights organisation.
There will also be NUFC fans, local human rights campaigners and Saudi human rights speakers.
Visit from Lina al-Hathoul
Last September, the renowned Saudi human rights activist, Lina al-Hathoul toured Newcastle newspaper offices and radio stations and journalists were taken aback when she recounted her personal experience of the brutality of the regime which owns the city’s football club.
All 78 Newcastle city councillors and Tyneside MPs were written to, requesting them to meet Lina and NUFCFAS to discuss the question of the Saudi dictatorship using the club and by extension the city to divert attention away from their horrendous human rights record.
In 2022 Newcastle City Council cut ties with a Chinese city over claims the country’s regime has abused Uyghur people including the use of torture. It is striking that Newcastle City Council is not holding the Saudi state and the 80% owners of Newcastle United to the same standards. Why not?
Newcastle councillors and MPs
Only three councillors agreed to meet Lina and she commented on the worrying fact the Saudi regime was succeeding in buying the silence of local political representatives: “I found it quite shocking… I tried to meet with MPs and councillors here and I would say 90% of them say it explicitly that it’s a political risk for them to be seen with me.”
Recently, it has been revealed that North East MPs have enjoyed free tickets to see Newcastle United matches. NUFCFAS is calling on all MPs and councillors who have received free tickets to see Newcastle United to donate the money they would have paid to Saudi human rights groups.
NUFCFAS, Saudi human rights groups and NGOs have repeatedly asked MPs and councillors to take up specific cases with Yasir al-Rumayyan, Saudi minister and confidante of the Saudi regime’s chief dictator, Mohammed Bin Salman.
The meeting on Friday
At the meeting we will publicly launch a campaign to urge Newcastle City Council to rename a street near Saint James’ Park, ‘Jamal Khashoggi – Human Rights Way’ in honour of the journalist who was murdered and dismembered on the orders of Mohammed Bin Salman, the direct boss of the Newcastle Chairman.
We will also be urging MPs to answer the calls of Saudi human rights groups and speak up for Saudi women such as Salma al-Shehab.
Match day protest – Newcastle United vs Sheffield United
On Saturday 27 April Newcastle United will play Sheffield United.
This is an opportunity for fans of both clubs to show that, although we continue to support our teams, we do not support the Saudi regime and their repressive laws and they cannot use our club to divert attention away from their many and ongoing human rights abuses.
Sheffield United is owned by Saudi Prince Abdullah Bin Mosaad Al Saud who is heavily involved in the multi-club ownership model which has a financially destabilising impact; and the use of clubs as branding vehicles for abusive states, known as sportswashing, is not good for the game or indeed the regions where the clubs are based.
On 27 April we want to highlight the situation facing Saudi women, specifically the case of Saudi prisoner Salma al-Shehab.
Salma, a mother of two is currently serving 27 years in prison solely for posting tweets in support of Saudi prisoners of conscience.
She was studying in Yorkshire at Leeds University and when she visited home was arrested and imprisoned. We urge Newcastle and Sheffield United fans especially to show solidarity with Salma. We also appeal to fans of all clubs to support our campaign against sportswashing and in favour of human rights.
We call on NUFC fanzines and social media groups to publicise the case of Salma al-Shehab to coincide with the game against Sheffield United.
It would be a wonderful act of solidarity with Saudi women if WOR FLAGS produced a #FREESALMA flag.
Finally we ask Newcastle and Sheffield United fans to download and display #FREESALMA posters at the match in the 27th minute.
Salma is in prison for 27 years for tweeting in favour of free speech.
Let’s use our free speech in the 27th minute of the match to support Salma and all Saudi prisoners of conscience and show that football fans can make a difference.
Download #FreeSalma poster NUFCFAS will also distribute the #FreeSalma A4 poster outside St James’ Park before the match (Opposite the Bobby Robson and Alan Shearer statues)
John Hird – Newcastle United Fans Against Sportswashing
