Wasim Haq has resigned from his role as a Football Association (FA) council member after being suspended over a social media post about the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Haq, who joined the FA as a BAME Football Communities Representative in 2019, was suspended by English soccer’s governing body this month over a post saying “Adolf Hitler would be proud of (Israel’s Prime Minister) Benjamin Netanyahu”, which he has since deleted.
In his resignation letter, Haq expressed feeling overwhelmed and bereft of energy and hope due to recent events.
He also mentioned the pain of unintentionally causing hurt to friends and colleagues in the Jewish community, apologizing for the misunderstanding that led to this situation.
“I take full responsibility and reiterate my apology to them and all those affected,” Haq said.
Haq admitted that his original post was a “direct criticism of a politician” and recognized the detrimental impact it had on his leadership position at The FA.
He also expressed his plan to engage with members of the Jewish community to share and understand their perspective.
The FA accepted Haq’s resignation and reaffirmed their commitment to football being about unity, not division, welcoming his apology to the Jewish community for the unacceptable comments made on social media.
In addition to leaving his role at the FA, Haq was also removed from his positions as an independent councillor at the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and Director of England Golf.