By T. AVINESHWARAN
He is supposed to put shackles on strikers. Instead, he is on handcuffs for something that he did not do.
AS I was enjoying my nasi goreng paprik at a Mamak restaurant, a family sat beside my table and ordered some dishes. The waiter struggled to understand what they were saying, so I helped them by translating their orders to Tamil.
There were four them. Looking at the family, I missed my folks back in Ipoh. Two of their children were always fiddling with their phones, and when their parents initiated small talks, they just gave one-word answers.
I was tempted to tell them to put down their phone and cherish every moment they spend with their folks. Instead, the parents spoke to me and asked about my dishevelled beard and Ipoh.
Then, I do not know why I thought of Hakeem Al-Araibi. I get to text and phone my folks, but Hakeem is behind bars wondering what his wife is doing.
The pain of not seeing your family is unbearable. I'm sure it is killing Hakeem. Some of you might be wondering who Hakeem is?
In a world where we are more concerned about what the Kardashians do and disturbing articles about beauty, stories like this don't often gain traction.
Hakeem is Bahraini, who fled his country to Australia. Why? He spoke out against the persecution and torture of other footballers who had protested against the ruling regime during the country’s uprising and was arrested for alleged vandalism on a police station when he was actually playing football for his former club Al-Shabab.
Hakeem was tried in absentia and given 10 years jail sentence for something that he did not do. In Australia, he was vocal about the royal family in Bahrain. The athletes were oppressed, and Hakeem was speaking up for them. He sought asylum down under and eventually got refugee status in 2017.
That status certainly gave him protection to travel. Thailand is fun, but for Hakeem, it is turning out to be a real nightmare.
Upon arrival, he and his wife were arrested at the request of Bahraini authorities. On Feb 4, he was produced at the Bangkok Court with his feet shackled and pleading not to be sent back to Bahrain.
Thailand is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and has strong economic links with Bahrain. The Thai Royals also have a strong connection with the Bahrain royal family.
Supporters, especially the footballing world have urged Thailand to release Hakeem. At the court, former Australian International Craig Foster was seen calming Hakeem and telling him that all of Australia is with him and his wife sends her love. It's heartening to see former footballers concerned about human rights.
He is supposed to put shackles on strikers. Instead, he is on handcuffs for something that he did not do.
Footballers around the world are sharing pictures of Hakeem, and some of our professionals here have done so, and it is good. However, more needs to be done! We can't be expecting the Aussies to be the only vocal ones.
At this juncture, the whole footballing community should stand as one and make that voice stronger. Use your influence to good use!
On Jan 29, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) urged the player to be released. However, that came after the body was criticised for its inaction. It's president Sheikh Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa is behind all this, and he has been reticent.
Foster managed to get 50,000 signatories demanding his release but what we need is voices. There is no point sharing status updates and tweets when you do not know the whole gravity of the issue.
It is time for all the Asian players to pressure their respective confederations or associations to voice out on the matter. Make the #SaveHakeem hashtag a reality.
At the moment, only the Australian government is being serious about the matter. Professional players should realise that they too aren’t safe in this world. Hakeem went to Thailand for a holiday, but he might be extradited to Bahrain and tortured for his views.
Human rights is an integral part of civilisation, and it is time for the football community to show that they are not just about the game. It's time to show that they too are concerned about what's happening around the world.
This Hakeem saga can be an eye-opener to them. I wish our professional players would be able to do more to help their Bahraini colleague. Maybe clubs in Malaysia should throw their support too. Even the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) should speak out on this matter and use their good relations with Sheikh Salman to speak about the issue.
Professional Footballers Association of Malaysia (PFAM) have posted a picture of #SaveHakeem but having spoken to its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Izham Ismail about several issues, I am sure he can do more. It's time for him to galvanise all the professionals in Malaysia to pressure the Thai government to release Hakeem. Hakeem is being tried for something that he didn't do.
I am voicing my support to Hakeem through this article. I hope all professionals and teams could read this. Awareness is needed, and voices need to be stronger. Unity would lead to great things, and we all want to see Hakeem going back to his wife.
Most importantly, let’s see him play the game he loves.
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