Football executive fired after THREE DAYS for social media posts supporting Hamas

From Jewish News – very close to home this. 

A newly-appointed executive at Dagenham & Redbridge FC has been sacked just three days into the role after vile social media posts emerged in which she openly supports Hamas.

Salma Mashour, a football presenter and digital content creator, had been unveiled with fanfare on Monday as the new director of development and engagement.

Together they aim to grow the club through creativity, community & storytelling.

Who did she think she was? Scheherazade?

But her time with the National League club ended just 72 hours later in disgrace after it emerged she posted messages supporting terrorism and claiming Israel’s existence is illegal.

In a now-deleted 30 October 2023 post, just weeks after the Hamas massacre that saw 1,200 Israelis slaughtered, Mashour declared: “I do not condemn Hamas… self-defence is not terrorism… Palestine will be free.”

Dagenham & Redbridge FC, which has deep ties to the Jewish communities of Redbridge and Ilford, acted swiftly, confirming her dismissal “effective immediately” in a statement issued by managing director Steve Thompson.

“As soon as we were made aware of the video, we acted quickly. The video was completely unacceptable,” Thompson said. “We are a multifaith, multicultural club and we do not tolerate racism, discrimination, or support for terrorism of any kind.”

The controversy has sparked uproar among fans, with many expressing horror at the apparent lack of vetting.

Supporter Suzanne Collier said she was “appalled” at Mashour’s appointment, accusing the club of failing to do due diligence and “inviting antisemitism” into its ranks.

The appointment of Mashour came alongside the arrival of Egyptian businessman Marwan Serry, who was named as a new part-owner of the club earlier this week.

Serry has yet to comment publicly about the sacking.

However, fans are also sounding the alarm over the behaviour of some of Serry’s online followers. One Facebook fan group calling itself “Daggers Arabic” has mocked Jewish fans and shared hateful messages, including threats and slurs directed at existing supporters.

Local Labour MP Margaret Mullane is now seeking an urgent meeting with the club’s management to address what she called a “deeply concerning” situation.

A Labour Party official told Jewish News: “This is why we need a regulator in football, because we have external forces that are now effectively destroying the culture of our national sport.”

Supporters attending a heated meeting at the club on Wednesday evening told Jewish News that repeated questions over financial contributions made to the club by Serry were left unanswered by club chairman, Daniel Hall.

I have seen a video of part of that meeting and the Facebook posts. Many of them are in Arabic so heaven alone knows what they are saying.Except when I heard a Jewish supporter say that he has alerted the other Jewish newspaper The Jewish Chronicle, I knew that the Jewish press would have access to speakers of Arabic who could translate and also possibly intelligence on Marwan Serry and Salma Mashour who is said to be his girlfriend. I doubt that he will want to work with a club giving him such a hostile reception and ejecting him will not be necessary.. Apparently he tried to attach himself to top Premier League club Arsenal who wouldn’t even give him an appointment. He then moved down the league and tried the other East London club Leyton Orient to no avail. 

A statement from Marwan Serry has been expected all evening