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Ashkan Dejagah. (Reuters)
Last update - 21:43 09/10/2007
German Jews: Drop Iranian-born soccer player who won't play in Israel
By Assaf Uni (Berlin) and Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz Correspondents and Reuters
Tags: Iran, Soccer, Israel, Germany

Germany's leading Jewish organization has called for an Iranian-born player to be dropped from Germany's under-21 national soccer team for withdrawing from an upcoming match against Israel.

Ashkan Dejagah, 21, who plays for Bundesliga club VfB Wolfsburg, asked national team managers to allow him to withdraw from Germany's European Championship qualifier against Israel, to be played in Tel Aviv on Friday.

He cited "personal reasons" for his decision, the German Football Association (DFB) said Monday. But the tabloid daily Bild quoted him as saying his motive was political. "He came to us citing personal reasons that seemed very plausible," DFB spokesman Jens Grittner said.
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On Tuesday, the Central Council of Jews in Germany condemned the DFB's decision to accept Dejagah's request and demanded that the player be sanctioned.

"It would be an affront to silently tolerate this behavior," Council President Charlotte Knobloch said in a statement. "I therefore expect that the DFB will exclude the player from the German national team."

Dejagah, who is considered one of his club's star players, told Bild that his decision to withdraw from the match "has political reasons. Everyone knows that I am German-Iranian." He was born in Tehran, but later moved with his parents to Germany and holds a German passport.

In a subsequent interview Monday with the tabloid B.Z., Dejagah insisted: "I have nothing against Israel, but I fear I would have trouble entering Iran later."

Dejagah's father has been quoted as saying that his son had not yet decided whether to play for Iran or Germany when he leaves the under-21s. Dejagah's elder brother plays for Iran.

The player also attributed his decision to respect for his parents. "They are both Iranian, and the blood that flows in my veins is more Iranian than German," he said.

His withdrawal stirred controversy in Germany.

Germany coach Joachim Loew said he was disappointed Dejagah had withdrawn, telling German newspaper Die Welt "I'm aware of the political problem, but I would have hoped and expected that the player would have made a different decision."

Bild, Germany's best-selling paper, called for his exclusion from the national team. So did Friedbert Pflueger, a prominent member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's party.

"This is intolerable," Pflueger said. "Soon, each person will decide who he wants to play against and who he doesn't want to play against. If a player has political objections, he can no longer play with the team."

Central Council of Jews vice president Dieter Graumann told Spiegel Onlineon on Monday that, "It is unacceptable and untenable for one player to initiate a private boycott of Jews... It would be scandalous if the DFB fails to punish this behavior."

In 2004, Iranian striker Vahid Hashemian was pulled from Bayern Munich's roster for a Champions League game against Maccabi Tel Aviv. Although Bayern cited a back injury as the reason for Hashemian's withdrawal, Iran's national sporting body had opposed the planned visit.

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Obama's blunder
As Penn. primary approaches, Clinton has latched on to 'values' remarks by Obama.
  1.   one had hoped that... 04:46  |  Leon 09/10/07
  2.   WELL DONE A MAN WITH VALUES 04:54  |  SOCCER 09/10/07
  3.   Iranian-born German soccer player refuses to play in Tel Aviv 05:19  |  vicky 09/10/07
  4.   What an Idiot; German or Iranian First? 05:35  |  Semsem 09/10/07
  5.   Principles: a non-zionist concept 05:48  |  Hannah 09/10/07
  6.   He doesn`t have issue against Jews 06:03  |  Hadi 09/10/07
  7.   Have we forgotten who we are? 06:05  |  volov 09/10/07
  8.   Ashkan Dejagah is a third-class player... 06:10  |  Carlos 09/10/07
  9.   PRINCIPLES? 06:11  |  Ridgid 09/10/07
  10.   To "Hannah".ru 06:12  |  Carlos 09/10/07
  11.   #5, Semsem 06:21  |  Hannah 09/10/07
  12.   #3, Vicky 06:24  |  Hannah 09/10/07
  13.   so another simple young moslem with racist values 06:33  |  Victor_The_Egyptian 09/10/07
  14.   Not very conclusive 06:35  |  Shual 09/10/07
  15.   Standard International Method of Selling Jews 06:42  |  Yitzhak 09/10/07
  16.   Fear 06:50  |  Ken 09/10/07
  17.   #5 Hitler had "principles" too 06:53  |  David 09/10/07
  18.   To #5 06:56  |  Boris 09/10/07
  19.   Pathetic: NO Genuine Values 07:07  |  Brad 09/10/07
  20.   Outrageous 07:07  |  Gordon 09/10/07
  21.   soccer 07:08  |  ConnieM. 09/10/07
  22.   He is not against Jews or Israel 07:08  |  Adel 09/10/07
  23.   Hannah. Your View Of Zionists and Principles 07:10  |  Brad 09/10/07
  24.   Behind the news 07:27  |  Charly 09/10/07
  25.   to Hannah 07:45  |  Charly 09/10/07
  26.   He may fear retaliation 07:47  |  B 09/10/07
  27.   I am German-Iranian." ??BS 08:07  |  reuven 09/10/07
  28.   Values 08:12  |  Truths 09/10/07
  29.   Arab Muslim Occupiers of Persia 08:24  |  Mansour 09/10/07
  30.   Iranian freedom 08:25  |  S 09/10/07
  31.   Iranian-born German soccer player refuses to play in Tel Aviv 08:27  |  alon frank 09/10/07
  32.   Adel #17 is correct - 08:30  |  B`Galil 09/10/07
  33.   Is he a german or iranian ? 08:32  |  a german 09/10/07
  34.   What is he doing in Germany ? 08:52  |  Rationale 09/10/07
  35.   #6 #7 Hannah: Antisemites accuse Jews of not being loyal 08:55  |  Semsem 09/10/07
  36.   Family in Iran 08:56  |  Gray 09/10/07
  37.   Hannah: Crossing the Line 08:59  |  Liliane 09/10/07
  38.   Fear of discrimination may be a good reason 09:00  |  Jerusalem Shmuel 09/10/07
  39.   That`s a problem for Germans only 09:11  |  D 09/10/07
  40.   Mansor 09:11  |  iranianoilbourse 09/10/07
  41.   Adel - His passport will be fine 09:27  |  Ruth 09/10/07
  42.   In the Opposite Case.... 09:53  |  Anton 09/10/07
  43.   Jews want to destroy Persia 09:53  |  Iranian 09/10/07
  44.   Ash-Can or ashkan? 09:56  |  millie 09/10/07
  45.   well, reciprocity, take an american chess player 10:09  |  mehmet 09/10/07
  46.   Dejagah didn`t do wrong 10:38  |  Gray 09/10/07
  47.   Iran may deny the player right to entry afterwards. 10:41  |  Adolfo E. Talpalar 09/10/07
  48.   Ruth - not everything will be fine 10:42  |  Gray 09/10/07
  49.   HOW TO HAND ISRAEL THE MATCH 10:42  |  paul harris 09/10/07
  50.   incorrect 10:43  |  Paul 09/10/07
  51.   Reuven - US Jew or jewish US citizen? 10:47  |  Gray 09/10/07
  52.   German or Iranian first? 10:50  |  Gray 09/10/07
  53.   Loyalties 10:51  |  Anton 09/10/07
  54.   Germans and Iranians both have a history of 10:56  |  Real Palestinian 09/10/07
  55.   His Loss! 10:58  |  Nicole 09/10/07
  56.   Hannah and her sisters 10:59  |  Real Palestinian 09/10/07
  57.   Tabriz 11:01  |  Real Palestinian 09/10/07
  58.   and the real reason is what? 11:05  |  Nerys 09/10/07
  59.   Iranians should be in Iran 11:14  |  SystemF 09/10/07
  60.   I COULDN`T CARE LESS. THE BOY IS 11:26  |  Robert 09/10/07
  61.   Mansour #29, you have to be kidding right? 11:31  |  Palestinian Prince 09/10/07
  62.   @Gray - Loyalties again 11:43  |  Anton 09/10/07
  63.   Gray 11:52  |  Ehud 09/10/07
  64.   The guy has family in Iran 12:03  |  Chris Linthwaite 09/10/07
  65.   What an idiot 12:10  |  Nechama 09/10/07
  66.   Paul Harris 12:26  |  Chris Linthwaite 09/10/07
  67.   #61 12:33  |  Uzi 09/10/07
  68.   volov #7 12:34  |  Lynn 09/10/07
  69.   Why can`t he go back to Iran? 12:35  |  David 09/10/07
  70.   The boy has valid reason not to come to Tel Aviv 12:38  |  Aaron 09/10/07
  71.   # 43 Iranian 12:39  |  Lynn 09/10/07
  72.   #43 Iranian