The Algerian media personality, Hafeez Darraji, has called for the Algerian state’s intervention against those who have turned the fate of Djamel Belmadi, the national football team coach, into a national issue.
He warned that this escalation jeopardizes public security and stability, going beyond a public debate about a coach to divisive rhetoric and questioning of national loyalty.
In an article published today, Thursday, February 1, 2024, on the electronic platform “Algeria Now,” Darraji argued that the divergence of opinions on Belmadi’s future has escalated to the point of incitement and casting doubt on national loyalty.
He expressed concern that this has become a curse threatening public security and stability, suggesting that the issue has surpassed a mere public discussion about a national team coach.
The commentator on the Qatari “BeIN Sports” channels emphasized the necessity of state intervention.
He pointed out that the media has transformed into platforms reinforcing division and undermining people’s morale.
Social media platforms have turned into arenas for dangerous conflicts, surpassing the bounds of a debate over the coach’s stay or departure, evolving into public trials and verbal violence that incite people from within and outside the nation.
Darraji directly leveled accusations against unnamed parties, claiming they are indifferent to Belmadi and the national team.
According to him, these entities have never defended Algeria, its people, or its interests.
Instead, they seize on its shortcomings and flaws, engaging in misinformation, defamation, and mockery of Algerian symbols and institutions.
This has turned the Belmadi issue into a commercial record for steering Algeria toward perilous matters, as if it were a crucial fate for the nation.
To reinforce his stance, Darraji cited some analyses that have gone to the extent of discussing a political project planning to muddy the waters in the upcoming presidential elections.
He alleged that this project is orchestrated by foreign intelligence agencies disturbed by Algeria’s stances on various regional and international issues.
These agencies envy Algeria’s independence in decision-making and its reluctance to participate in normalization efforts.
After clearing the youth, moved by their emotions towards their homeland and national team, of the accusations launched against them, Darraji renewed his call for necessary legal measures.
He urged the purification of the media scene, the regulation and monitoring of false news, manipulated images, and videos inciting violence.
These actions aim to silence voices opposing what some analysts consider a political project with a sporting façade, confronted by Belmadi.
However, its underlying motives are political, employing deception through fake accounts that proliferated during this time and succeeded in changing public opinions in a short period.
