By Andrew Warshaw
September 27 – Former FIFA vice president Prince Ali bin al-Hussein has issued a furious attack on the organisation that not so long ago he hoped to lead, describing the decision to disband its anti-racism Task Force as “shameful”.
The Jordanian, who lost two FIFA presidential elections in his bid to transform the organisation’s image, wasted little time in lambasting the ruling that has prompted widespread consternation among human rights and anti-discrimination bodies.
FIFA’s decision was communicated in a letter to the task force’s members last weekend suggesting the body had fulfilled its business.
Fatma Samoura, FIFA’s first African and first female secretary general, attempted to play down the issue on Monday when she insisted world football’s governing body still had a zero-tolerance policy on racism and took all forms of discrimination extremely seriously.
But Prince Ali, beaten by Gianni Infantino at last February’s election having previously challenged and lost to Sepp Blatter, charged: “The announcement that FIFA is disbanding its anti-racism task force, considering its work done, is incredibly worrying.”
“The fight against racism is far from over and the notion that the current FIFA leadership believes the ‘task force’s recommendations have been implemented’ is shameful.”
“Never has the need to combat racism and racial discrimination been more evident than it is in the world we live in today… it is not something that any governing body with any semblance of responsibility can downplay or deny.”
Prince Ali, who is still president of the Jordanian FA, continues by saying the committee should have been made a “permanent part” of FIFA, with more power and resources to work with member associations and all the various stakeholders.
“The reality, as with many programmes within FIFA, is that the task force was never given real support since its conception and its role was more about FIFA’s image than actually tackling the issues,” he declared.
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