Brazilian footballer's 'Khaleeji bomber' costume sparks outrage

Another Halloween, another round of cultural appropriation and blatant racism.

While there's no denying that the festivities showcase many unique and creative ideas, offensive costumes that perpetuate false stereotypes seem to be a Halloween staple. 

Arabs are no strangers to misrepresentation through offensive Halloween costumes, and professional Brazilian football player Márcio Rafael Ferreira de Souza's costume is a case in point. 

The 33-year-old footballer, who is better known as Rafinha, opted for an "Arab bomber" look, sparking outrage online.

On Wednesday, German football club Bayern Munich's official Twitter account posted a photo of its players at a Halloween party, with Rafinha's costume grabbing plenty of negative attention.

In the photo, Rafinha can be seen wearing the traditional Khaleeji headdress and white robe, while holding a cardboard box of fake explosives with a sticker labelled "Vorsicht," which is German for "Caution."

Social media users were quick to respond to the photo, accusing the footballer of racism and false representation of Arabs.

Soon after, Bayern Munich deleted the controversial photo and Rafinha  posted a tweet responding to the critics.

In his tweet, the footballer did not explicitly acknowledge people's concerns. Instead, he wrote, "Halloween is a scary celebration with exaggerated costumes," adding that he did not intend to offend anyone.

In an Instagram post, he added, "I AM SORRY... I AM RESPECT ALL COUNTRIES AND ALL RELIGIONS!!! [sic]"

This wouldn't be the first time racism in German football makes headlines this year. Back in July, footballer Mesut Özil announced his retirement from international football, citing "racism and disrespect" in Germany over his Turkish roots.

The Muslim Arsenal F.C. midfielder said the discriminatory treatment made him realize he "no longer want[s] to wear the German national team shirt."