The Secretary of State for Equal Opportunities, Zuhal Demir (New Flemish Alliance) would, along with others, like the Royal Belgian Football Association to abandon its choice of the rapper Damso. The Association has chosen him for the anthem to accompany the Red Devils in the FIFA World Cup in Russia, due to take place later this year.
Speaking on the set of the current affairs television programme Van Gils & Gasten, on the channel Eén (owned by VRT) she said on Tuesday, “This is simply not possible. I hope that the idea is dropped.”
The Royal Belgian Football Association has set Damso the task of composing the song, which will be used as the anthem for the national team during the World Cup. However the choice has already proven controversial, even before we know the musical composition. Present criticisms accuse the musician, originally from the Congo, of having used words which are sexist and disparaging to women in previous songs.
A criticism which was shared by Zuhal Demir on Tuesday evening. She indicated, considering the plan was likely to be abandoned, “I cannot imagine that the Royal Belgian Football Association would wish the ‘Red Devils’ brand to be associated with this behaviour.”
The existing pressure upon the Royal Belgian Football Association is thus mounting. Again on Tuesday, the Women’s Council expressed its indignation in a letter to Belgian team sponsors.
The Brussels Times
