As an Amazigh Moroccan, I believe that allowing such labels in international sports goes beyond football—it distorts history, identity, and culture. Football should unite people without imposing identities that are not theirs. This letter is a call for recognition, accuracy, and respect for our Amazigh heritage.

Here is the letter:

To the FIFA Council and Administration,

I am writing to formally raise a complaint and to request immediate reconsideration of the naming, conceptual framework, and participation criteria of the football tournament currently known as the “Arab Cup.”

The designation “Arab Cup” constitutes, in its current form, a misrepresentation of ethnic identity and raises serious concerns regarding cultural discrimination and imposed identity, particularly with respect to several participating North African nations.

Countries such as Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and others in North Africa are officially included in this competition despite the fact that their indigenous populations are ethnically Amazigh, with documented histories, languages, and cultures that long predate Arabization. Amazigh languages remain actively spoken, and Amazigh identity is constitutionally recognized in several of these states. The continued classification of these nations under an exclusively “Arab” label amounts to an erasure of indigenous identity and an implicit denial of ethnic plurality.

This concern is compounded by the inconsistent and exclusionary application of participation criteria. Numerous Muslim-majority countries—such as Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Malaysia, and others—are excluded from the tournament, despite the fact that religious affiliation or cultural proximity alone does not appear to be the determining factor. This inconsistency raises legitimate questions as to whether the tournament’s structure is grounded in objective criteria or in an ideological framework that privileges Arabism as an identity imposed upon diverse peoples.

FIFA’s own statutes emphasize the principles of non-discrimination, equality, cultural respect, and human dignity. Article 4 of the FIFA Statutes explicitly prohibits discrimination of any kind, including on the basis of ethnicity, language, or cultural identity. By branding a multinational tournament in a way that imposes a singular ethnic identity on non-Arab peoples, FIFA risks contradicting these foundational principles.

It must be stated clearly:
This issue is not symbolic. Names carry legal, cultural, and political weight. The continued use of the term “Arab Cup” in its current form contributes to the normalization of ethnic misclassification and reinforces long-standing patterns of cultural marginalization, particularly of Amazigh peoples and other non-Arab ethnic groups within the region.

If the tournament’s intent is regional rather than ethnic, a more accurate and inclusive designation—such as the Middle East and North Africa Cup (MENA Cup)—would reflect geographical reality while respecting the diversity of identities represented. Alternatively, if the tournament is intended to be strictly Arab in an ethnic or linguistic sense, then FIFA must clarify its criteria and apply them consistently, even if that requires restructuring participation.

I therefore formally request that FIFA:

Review the name and conceptual basis of the “Arab Cup”;

Assess its compliance with FIFA’s non-discrimination principles;

Consult independent cultural, historical, and indigenous rights experts, including Amazigh representatives;

Take corrective measures to ensure that no participating nation or people is subjected to ethnic misrepresentation or identity imposition.

Failure to address this matter risks undermining FIFA’s credibility as an organization committed to diversity, inclusion, and respect for all peoples. I urge FIFA to treat this complaint with the seriousness it deserves and to take decisive, transparent action.

I look forward to your formal response.

Respectfully,
Kamal Touhami
Germany
Dima Morocco and Dima Amazigh