Anwar El Ghazi 

Berlin, November 5 (RHC)-- German club Mainz has cancelled Anwar El Ghazi’s contract after he posted a message on social media condemning the killing of Palestinians in Gaza.  The former Everton and Aston Villa forward was suspended by the Bundesliga club two days after he uploaded the post.

He has since deleted it and written a number of posts to clarify his position, saying: “I want to make clear that I’m standing for peace above everything.  My thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of all the innocent victims, and those who are still missing.”

In a social media post today he wrote: “‘Stand for what is right, even if it means standing alone.’  The loss of my livelihood is nothing when compared to the hell being unleashed on the innocent and vulnerable in Gaza.”

The 28-year-old, who also previously played for PSV Eindhoven, joined Mainz as a free agent in September and made three appearances as a substitute.

“on side of oppressed until last day I breathe…”: El Ghazi after German club terminates contract over Palestine posts.

“There can never be any justification for the killing of over 3,500 children in Gaza in the last three weeks….I and we as a world cannot conscionably (sic) remain silent. We must call for an end to the killing in Gaza now,” the post adds.

Prior to El Ghazi’s termination on Friday, German prosecutors accused him of “disturbing public peace by condoning criminal acts in conjunction with incitement to hatred” through his social media posts.