Muslim Football Team Names Spark Protest

[Khephra]

IRVINE, Calif. -- It was planned as a way to bring young athletes together for a weekend of fun, but when participants in the Muslim Football tournament started naming their teams Intifada, Soldiers of Allah and Mujahideen, Jewish leaders took offense.

Intifada means "uprising" in Arabic and is the term applied to suicide bombings and other attacks against Israelis in the Middle East. Mujahideen means holy warrior.

Rabbi Bernie King, who lives in Irvine, said the teams' names undermined those who worked to have closer relations with Muslims.

"Something like this ... tends to support those in the community who have suspicions about the real intent of Islam," King said.

more.........

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-muslim-football,0,1783841.story?coll=sns-ap-nation-headlines

[JCMach1]

1. I call bullshit on this one...

Give me a break...

[saigon68]

12. A QUAINT THROWBACK TO SIMPLER TIMES

<>


http://www.redskins.com/

[ikojo]

2. What about Jewish teams calling themselves the

Maccabees? I guess that's OK because they are not Muslims.

The Hanukkah story is more than a lamp with only enough oil for one day "miraculously" burning for eight nights.

It is a story of a battle between the Maccabees (more orthodox and observant) against the Hellenists and the more assimilationist Jews (who wanted to introduce Hellenistic practices into Jewish life and the Temple service) of their time.

[MrPrax]

11. Oil?...Jews?

Hmm...this sounds anti-semtic to me?
What are you really suggesting? (/sarcasm)


The SUV of Menorahs!!

[PsychoDad]

3. Bad Muzzies! Soldiers of Allah .... ?

Isn't that sorta like condeming the term "Christian soldiers", "warriors for Christ", etc... ?
I guess someone would have raither they picked a team name like "Chiefs" or "Braves" ? :silly: Or maybe the "Wasps"


No..."wasps" wouldn't have worked either. They have stingers and can hurt you. Sounds agressive...
Oh, We wern't talking about the animal :silly:?

Sorry Rabbi, this is supposed to be about playing fooball and bringing kids together. This sounds like a good thing.

[GabysPoppy]

4. Everyone thankfully doesn't agree with you

"Fellow tournament organizer Sabih Khan said he had worried about the names and had asked the teams to change them."

Especially considering that these aren't "historic" names but examples of current "offensive" terms.

BTW - I agree with you in condemning the persistent use of "chiefs and braves or redskins" etc.

[PsychoDad]

14. I will admit...

I will concide that the use of "Intafada" would be inflamitory to many, and probably not a good choice for a team. I wasn't trying to defend all the names, but "Soldiers of Allah"? That's like condemming a christian group for being called "warriors for Christ" or "Christian Soldiers".
Would it be more acceptable if they were just called "soldiers" or "warriors"? Is it the identification with Islam (or any religion)that is offensive? I hope not.

But remember, these are kids. Trying, as the article says, to "be cool". Thus, remembering my youth, I guess the shock value would also be considered by them when picking their name.. I'm not defending that. The purpose is for a good cause, to bring Muslim and Jewish kids together in the spirit of co-operation and sport. This is the important point. I simply don't think a name should be the cause of the adults losing sight of the greater purpose.

And I hope it doesn't

[GabysPoppy]

16. If you want kids to get together

This is not the way to do it.

You are starting off with a negative atmosphere, where do you think it will go from there?

Take away the offensive names and maybe you have a fighting chance for the kids to get along and find out they have more things in common to bring them together and less things that will keep them apart and make them enemies.

I really think you you should reconsider your thoughts.

[thebigidea]

18. "where do you think it will go from there?"

Suicide bombings on the 50 yard line, of course!
Mossad in the locker rooms!
Bulldozers in the parking lot!
Daniel Pipes in the press box!

[PsychoDad]

19. GabysPoppy, what concerns me...

One team, out of an undisclosed number, wants to call itself "Intafada". I can understand the negative response to this, it is not a name I would have picked, but Rabbi King uses this to further state, "Something like this ... tends to support those in the community who have suspicions about the real intent of Islam,"

One team, one name, blanket condemnation. To me that is the tone of the article. I don't even know what the other teams are called, jewish or muslim.. or even how many there are. It would have been interesting to find out, but that was not the thrust of the article.

I do not find the names, "Soldiers of Allah" or "Muhadjideen" offensive, but that's only my opinion. Perhaps you do, I don't know. I do agree that Team Intafada could have chosen a better name. And I think we both agree that politics should have no place in these games for the kids, either on the side of the teams or organizers. Where I think we diverge is in what is a offensive name.

And you are correct. If something as simple as team names is going to create an atmosphere of tension, then perhaps we should dispense with the organized sports and simply have other events that promote a one on one interaction between these kids, so, as you said, they can find out they have much more in common than they have in differences.

[GabysPoppy]

21. You said the key words here

"we both agree that politics should have no place in these games for the kids,"

The Rabbi was wrong in trying to make this a political issue. The coaches were wrong to allow the kids to choose those type of names.
Both were equally at fault for using these kids in that manner. Where do you think kids learn prejudice of any kind? Babies are born WITHOUT a bit of hate in their bodies. They learn all this bullshit from the "adults". This is the cycle that must stop before anyone can wish to have peace in the world.


As a side note to others in this thread. Ask yourself if by some of the comments made whether you are part of the solution or part of the problem.

[chasqui]

23. About Lori Berenson:

It is perfectly reasonable to punish a foreigner that comes to your land to support a seditious movoement. The peruvian state was a state at war with the Shining Path and the Tupamaros - they are justified in making an example out of her.

[chasqui]

24. About Lori Berenson:

It is perfectly reasonable to punish a foreigner that comes to your land to support a seditious movoement. The peruvian state was a state at war with the Shining Path and the Tupamaros - they are justified in making an example out of her.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. English rugby does actually have

teams called "Wasps" and "Saracens".

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

5. Bulldozers vs Intifada

welcome to the game folks. should be a good match-up today.
the Bulldozers have been getting good penetration in the Intfada's defense, but the Intifada, despite being the underdogs, have been successful with their bombs. coach sharon hopes to stop these with
what he called his "security barrier", which is a modified defense the east germans called the "berlin wall".

that's right, brent. but we know how successful the east germans were, so it remains to be seen if the Bulldozers will have better luck with their strategy. the Intifada has a lot of young players but they play as if their life depended on the outcome.

ok thanks, we will be back with the kick off after a word from our sponsor, the carlyle group.

[xchrom]

7. brilliant

but then what else from Great Caesars Ghost?

[Malikshah]

8. Funny, I thought Intifada meant shaking off...

Intifada refers to "shrugging" or "shaking" off something-- say, like an occupation... Oh well--guess that reporter is the expert...

Soldiers of Allah = Christian Knights (the name of Furman's team before they realized that Furmun University Christian Knights would lead to an 'unfortunate' acronym....--they've since changed it to the Paladins...same thing)

Oh well--so it continues

[sistersofmercy]

9. It's always do as I say not as I do!

And we will tell you what is appropriate which usually involves hypocrisy.

[underpants]

10. It doesn't really have much of a ring to it does it?

Go Intifada, Soldiers of Allah and Mujahideen

[foo_bar]

13. what's the Texan word for Jihad?

Yeee-haaaaa!

[BlueCollar]

15. Texan for "Jihad"

actually...its "Redistricting"...:-)

[Aidoneus]

17. well, gee, how irresponsible

the Muslims should've asked Rabbi King first for permission, to know whether or not such is allowed.. :eyes:
Do the bulldozers and tanks have any jurisdiction in Irvine?

[jiacinto]

20. He's right

Their names confirm the perceptions that many in America have of their community.

[Forkboy]

22. Would you be one of those whose perception was confirmed?