An online petition has been signed by thousands of people demanding racists who abuse players be banned from English football for life.
The response came after several England football players were subjected to online abuse when their team lost on penalties to Italy in the Euro 2020 final on Sunday night.
By Monday night the petition - set up by a group called The Three Hijabis - had gained more than 400,000 signatures out of a target of half a million.
The organisers urged the British government and England's Football Association to work together to ensure those who abuse players are banned from football for life.
"After last night’s match, vile racist abuse was directed at our heroic players Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho.
"As multiracial football fans, we finally feel represented by this anti-racist and inclusive England team," the petition on Change.org said. "We could not be more proud or inspired by our magnificent team and by their talent, bravery, leadership and love for all.
"We are calling for the Football Association [FA] and the government to work together now to ban all those who have carried out racist abuse, online or offline, from all football matches in England for life."
Amna is part of the Three Hijabis group that campaigns on issues such as violence towards women and racial discrimination.
"We were sadly not surprised by the reaction [towards the players]", she told The National.
"We had indications of it when the team took the knee at the start of the tournament and saw the response, the booing from so-called fans, to the reaction of our own government. But unfortunately, for many of us it’s just daily part of our lives."
She said she was encouraged by the "incredible" reaction from across the country, but said that "words alone" were not enough.
"Those perpetrating this behaviour need to be held accountable, and we hope that the FA will respond to this petition and start to address this issue with actions, not just words," she said.
The petition will be presented to the FA, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and UK Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Oliver Dowden once it has gained enough signatures
High-profile figures led condemnation against the racist messages. Mr Johnson said racism has no place in modern society.
"For those who have been directing racist abuse at some of the players, I say 'Shame on you'," he said in a Downing Street press briefing on Monday. "And I hope you will crawl back under the rock from which you emerged."
Prince William, who is president of the FA and watched Sunday's final at Wembley, said he was "sickened by the racist abuse aimed at England players after last night’s match".
London’s Metropolitan Police on Monday said it was investigating offensive and racist messages on social media.
An estate agency in the UK said it suspended an employee after a racist message emerged on social media.
"Savills is committed to eliminating discrimination and encouraging diversity among our workforce,” the firm said on its Twitter account.
The tweet said the company will undertake an investigation regarding the “unacceptable incident”.
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh960,000
Engine 3.9L twin-turbo V8
Transmission Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Power 661hp @8,000rpm
Torque 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.4L / 100k
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
More coverage from the Future Forum
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre, six-cylinder
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 395bhp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: from Dh321,200
On sale: now
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The specs: 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
Price, base: Dh399,999
Engine: Supercharged 6.2-litre V8
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 707hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 875Nm @ 4,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 16.8L / 100km (estimate)
