Italian Marathon Record-Breaker Responds to Racist Attacks with Message of Unity

What Italian record? Did we steal it from the Moroccan federation?" The Italian middle and long distance runner Iliass Aouani was the target of racist insults after his latest triumph. To respond to his detractors, the native of Fquih Ben Salah (Morocco) posted a message of tolerance on social networks. "Italy is a beautiful country of big-hearted people. 26 years ago, this land welcomed me and raised me as its own son and gave my family and me opportunities for which we will always be grateful. I don’t like those who take advantage of the tree that makes more noise when it falls than the forest that grows to launch propaganda that portrays Italy as a racist country. It’s unfair to the real Italians, who represent 99% of the population," he reacts.

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For the athlete, these comments are "a sign of a limited mentality and a mediocre life, of people who have probably never made sacrifices in their lives and are therefore unable to recognize and respect the sacrifices of others." Iliass feels invested with a mission, and says he is ready to "leave an impact through sport, to teach that diversity is an asset and that without it, we would not have celebrated the latest Olympic gold medals, to teach that a person should be judged on the depth of their thinking and behavior and not on the origin of their name or the amount of melanin they have in their skin." And he concludes: "Be like a tree. When it is struck by stones, it reacts by producing its best fruits."