Twitter and other medias went abuzz saying that Abdullah was simply expressing his religion and thanks as so many other players do during games. The former Vice-President of the NFL and other NFL players have already spoken out against the penalty.
There is an interesting comparison between Husain Abdullah and Tim Tebow. Tebow is an NFL quarter-back who is rather vocal and demsontative of his religious beliefs. He is regularly seen before, during, and after games praying. However, Tim Tebow has never been subjected to penalties for repeatedlly displaying his religious belief, while Abdullah was penalized for simply displaying his standings once.
I think this not only shows the abuse of Muslims in the NFL but also the religious ignorance throughout everyone that has supported the decision.
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I agree with you completely, while Abdullah got penalized, the Tebow became a cultural symbol. His prayer was not mocking at all, he is a very observant Muslim. He observes Ramadan and made pilgrimage to Mecca. The calling of the penalty was definitely ignorant, and should not have been done.
ReplyDeleteThe NFL actually published a statement saying that Abdullahs celebration wasn't a penalty but i completely agree that Muslims are abused in the NFL.
ReplyDeleteI saw this the other day in a news article comparing Abdullah to Tebow. It's sad what this country has come to regarding religion and race.
ReplyDeleteI know the NFL later released a statement after the game that Abdullah should not have been penalized, but the fact that he was penalized in the first place just goes to show that religious tolerance is not a fully accepted idea in the NFL.
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