Sharing his journey to Islam two decades after reciting the shahadah, French Muslim soccer player Nicolas Anelka decried the increasing occurrences of Islamophobia and discrimination against North Africans in France.
“French people of North African origin try to make things work for them, but French society keeps them in check. There are a lot of obstacles in the way,” said Anelka. “For example if you send a CV with the ‘wrong zip code’ and a Muslim sounding name then you won’t be considered for a job. Only in France do you need to hide your name and picture in the hope of getting work. Such a degree of discrimination is unacceptable.”
According to France’s National Observatory Against Islamophobia, more than 214 separate acts of anti-Muslim behavior were recorded in the first month after the Charlie Hebdo attacks, more than in all of 2014.
Discussing his reversion to Islam, Anelka said: “I was sixteen when I converted to Islam. Beyond the fraternal aspect, my conversion did not change my life. I was already living by the same principles – being righteous, having values… I used to fast during Ramadan because I admired the people fasting around me.”
He continued: “What made me convert was that I had that certainty that Islam was for me. I felt this relationship with God, and that enlightened my life. I had that conviction in my heart that that was my religion.”
Anelka recently moved to North Africa where he works as a consultant for the Algerian soccer club NA Hussein Dey. “I’m very excited about developing Algerian soccer. Right now it is mainly represented by Frenchmen of Algerian background who play in France, the Netherlands, and the UK… I’d like to set up coaching academies in Algeria,” he said.
“The biggest challenge is to train youngsters, and build up the foundation of the game. Once the basis is in place, the rest follows,”
Anelka reverted to Islam in 1994 in the United Arab Emirates, adopting the Muslim name of Abdul-Salam Bilal. “I have an affinity with Algeria, because I grew up with plenty of Algerian friends in the suburbs of Paris,” he said.
“We had lots in common, including Islam. In fact, people kept telling me that I had an Algerian character. I was very touched by that because they are a very proud people. I’m proud but not arrogant.”
Praising Algerian players, the soccer play said: “Algerian players have great qualities, especially their technical game. It seems to be innate in Algerian soccer.”
“It really is an art. Algerians are above average when it comes to technique, but there are shortcomings, which need to be worked on. I simply want to transmit my knowledge on soccer to Algerian youngsters and inspire them. Algerian soccer reminds me of the style of Brazilian soccer.”
