„Platzverweis für Mohammed“ würde niemand fordern

#TheBlackChannel #WorldCup2026 #Christianity German national team star Felix Nmecha polarizes opinion at the World Cup with a prayer on the pitch. FOCUS columnist Jan Fleischhauer accuses critics of applying double standards. National team player Felix Nmecha faced sharp criticism after Germany's opening World Cup match against Curaçao for forming a prayer circle on the pitch – especially from the left. For FOCUS columnist Jan Fleischhauer, the debate reveals one thing above all: a striking inequality in the treatment of religions. Fleischhauer is particularly offended by the reaction of the "taz" newspaper. The paper commented on Nmecha's publicly practiced faith under the headline "Jesus sent off." In the podcast "The Black Channel," Fleischhauer said: "For a moment, I thought: Ah, a professional footballer with an Islam obsession, surely the next headline will be 'Send off for Mohammed.'" He immediately provides his own answer: "Absolutely not." When national team player Antonio Rüdiger once posed with the Tawhid finger, a religious gesture also used by Salafists, the debate unfolded completely differently. "If you fixate on the fact that a national team player displays a Salafist gesture, then that's hate speech. But if a footballer stands by his Christian faith, then he has to be banned from the pitch," Fleischhauer summarizes. Nmecha is repeatedly criticized because posts he shares on social media have been interpreted as homophobic or transphobic. Fleischhauer finds these accusations unconvincing. He has reviewed the disputed cases and has come to a different conclusion. For example, a condolence post by Nmecha after the death of Christian activist Charlie Kirk became a political issue. The national team player wrote at the time: "Rest in peace with God. Such a sad day. May the Lord be with the Kirk family with special grace during this time. Jesus is the true way to peace and love." Fleischhauer finds it remarkable that even such statements are considered problematic. For the columnist, this explains the vehement reactions to Nmecha. "If you're serious about the Christian faith, it's considered polarizing," he says. His fundamental objection is directed against double standards: "Either we make fun of all religions together, or none at all." Anyone who ridicules Christian expressions of faith but demands special consideration for Islamic symbols is applying a double standard.