It seems that soccer players at times remove their shirts in celebration after scoring a goal. Uh-oh: Muslims are offended. So the international soccer governing body is actually going to outlaw shirt removal. From BBC Sports, with thanks to Ali Dashti:
A Fifa sub-committee will re-instate the rule that the removal of shirts in celebration will be a mandatory cautionable offence.The law was relaxed a couple of years ago but football's governing body is set to approve a proposal that the celebration must be punished by a yellow card.
Some critics might argue Fifa is taking away the joy of scoring a goal, but there are other considerations.
Football is televised worldwide and Muslim countries find it offensive to see bare chests.
I want to start a team with ultraviolet and fleshtone as their colors (with a nod of the head to George Carlin, there)...
Does this also mean that women's teams will have to compete in burkhas so as not to offend?
I think that Muslim audiences might be equally offended by the sight, in the stands, of men and women sitting together. So, to do the decent thing, the least that Fifa should do, under the circumstances, is to separate the sexes in the stands so as not to offend that television audience. Women and men see far too much of each other as it is; surely they can sit apart for the occasional sports event. Come to think of it, why are women allowed to sit in such states of scandalous undress? That should be changed too -- it could give the wrong idea to Muslim women. Come to think of it, why are women allowed out of the house at all?
And I also find it deeply offensive, I with whom my fellow Muslims in America offer to share our common "abrahamic faith" (not to mention all the fun we can have with our "dialogue of civiilisations"), that American television stations, so unfeelingly continue to broadcast renditions of "The Star-Spangled Banner" before baseball games and other sporting events. By what right do these broadcasters arrogate to themselves the right to inflict mental distress on our Muslim citizens, whose religion tells them their supreme loyalty is, and must always be, to Islam and to all members of the umma al-Islamiyaa? Where is the humanity in this, where the understanding of what true diversity means? Didn't the Nazis, didn't the Communists, also have an anthem? The nation-state, in any case, is an archaic and silly institution, and anthems just reinforce old ideas, old beliefs, old loyalties that really need to be overcome. We should do our part to help that process along. National anthems just stand in the way. Besides, music itself is nothing to encourage -- now is it?
Keep those shirts on, boys. No more descamisados running around the field, or sans-culottes among the cheerleaders. Keep those girls and boys apart -- perhaps in separate sides of the stadium. And do let's stop with those silly national anthems. As part of Diversity Day, and the Pluralism Project, let's promise not to force our own nasty little rites of what we smugly call "patriotism" down the throats of those who refuse to be taken in by such narrow ideas. Please, where is the humanity? Don't those who subscribe to Al-Jazeera in this country have some rights, too?
Now you can see why soccer isn't so popular in the states. One turn-off is how the BBC (broadcast on many NPR stations overnight) drools on about fifa, football hooligans, and how great the Algerian team is. Who wants to conform to these nicey-nicey bunch suckups and fascists? Let em blow it out their cake hole, and their Muslim buddies too.
Muslim men are upset because they are weak and skinny looking, while free people are proud of their bodies, and they look good, which makes muslim women drool.
Everyone knows Islam shrinks your dick (as well as the mind) too, so they hate tight shorts as well.
DHIMMIPOWER beat me to it about soccer in the states. How about a team named the Arkansas Swine?
I think that every team in every league should take their shirt off every time ANYONE scores a goal. Plus the 'soccer hoodlums' need to stop fighting each other and ....
Seriously though, this sounds very much an inverse of the Rudy Giuliani policing strategy: keep the small things, like graphitti, broken windows, squeegee men, and car break-ins (the quality of life stuff) from happening and the attitude of the residents will turn around from expecting crime (as in the Dinkins era) to expecting no crime.
In Europe, the little things are slowly being taken away, creating the atmosphere of inevitability that the big things will surely disappear.
Hugh, you are one in a million with your ruthless and humorous diatribes against multi-culturalism and apologists for Islam.
Telling it like it is - the truth hurts.
If these Muslims are genuinely bothered about men with no shirts (maybe they think they'll be unfaithful to their camel), then they should simply not go to a match and spend their time praying. But no, because it isn't about piety, it's about power. After all, the 9/11 hijackers drank alcohol and went to strip clubs before they did their 'martyrdom for Allah' stuff.
Viva Maria Sharapova! I am suddenly interested in woman's tennis...the pure sport of it, you know.
I have a fantasy...Maria slams a cross court shot right into the stands wacking an imam in the nuts, a 'guest' of a dignitary secretly enjoying every shot (of course, no self respecting imam would attend such an event unless decorum required it).
And the Muslim world will be in an uproar...not at the imam's indiscretion, but at the audacity of a 17 year old fox peppering his perverted stick with a ball that is not his own.
Go Maria! With every grunt you are driving them to...well, the desire for a drink!
As a hugh Football Fan ( Soccer as you yanks call it) I think it needs pointing out that not one single team in Euro 2004 is from a muslim country.The only muslim player is french striker Zinadine Zidan ( who I could have sworn whipped his top off in World cup '98).Even when the World Cup comes along,where all the countries in the world are given a chance to get to the finals of the tournament, its very rare a team of muslim nationality makes it; rarer still that they make it out of the group stages (where we say good bye to most less-than-ametuer teams).
Which brings me to the question why, when the rest of the world couldn't care less about nudity let alone topless men, does it matter what offends muslims?They probably daren't watch their national team play as they always get thrashed without even scoring.They are the minorities of the Football world, yet still FIFA gives in to the protests of the sqeamish rats that are muslims.It makes me laugh too that they've given in to the one race of people likely to commit a terrorist strike at a football game, when are we going to start telling these ridiculous hypocrits where to go.
Come on Greece and Portugal when the final whistle goes get your kits off with a big fat FUCK OFF to all muslims!!
Maybe all football players should take a leaf out of the Brazilian teams book, when upon winning the world cup in 2002 immediatly gave thanks to God (Yahweh) for their victory and wrote "100% Jesus" on their shirts.
Alternatively, the Muslims could take a leaf out of my book, in that when seeing something undesirable on TV and in conflict with their conscience, stop griping about it and simply press the off button.
I am sick and tired of being considerate of the muslim's feelings! If they think they'd feel offended by it, don't watch the game!!!!!!
Why do other people have to be considerate to them when they butcher, kill, maim, burn non moslems and their belongings in other parts of the world???
I wonder what else will be banned in the future. This sounds like England is sliding down a slippery slope.
No bare chests...that was the only reason to even watch soccer...maybe they should heed the no shirt removal and remove the shorts with a big moon to the muslims.
OFF TOPIC QUESTION
As an Asian, I always wonder why the American, Canadian & Australian called "football" soccer, while the rest of the world called it football?
Why the American called their version of English Rugby football? It doesn't make any sense, in "American Football" you almost play the game by your hand rather than foot.
I think they should clear this discrepancy and simply call soccer, football.
"Football is Life"
Yah USAgirl! I'm with you there, although I'd still prefer the bare chests bit too, along with the flashing of those hard buns of steel. Woooo!
What a bunch of manure this is, appeasing to their prissy sensibilities like this. How stupid can you get. Give into this, and what next? Hugh's fantastic piece is not far from reality I think. It's probably a case of women in Muslim countries watching the soccer games with their husbands (in between birthing babies, washing, cooking, tending their dozen kids, and servicing their husbands), and the husbands feel inadequate and threatened by the sight of such prime Grade A male like Pires, Figo, del Piero, Beckham (as long as he doesn't talk), etc.
And yeah, JTF, you better hope tennis doesn't get watched a lot in Muslim countries, not just for you, but for us gals when the guys change their hot and sweaty shirts between sets.
The reason americans don't like football(soccer?) is ,quite simply, BECAUSE THEY SUCK AT IT!!! Sorry guys but it's true ( not as bad as all the teams of the arabian countries though ).
HEY REZA;
Isn't sport harem in islam? Everything else FUN seems to be. I'm going to take my top off at every football match I go to from now on just to piss muslims off, you are such freaks!!!
Herman;
LoL!!!So True!!!
Herman, 'soccer' is a contraction of 'association football'. ie the form of foot ball played under the rules laid down (Originally) by the English Football Association.
There are of course many football teams in islamic countries, and most of these countries people do love the game. Their lack of success is a symptom of the conditions under which the majority have to live.
It will be interesting to see what happens to the Iraqi national team now. They used to be managed by one of Saddams sons, and he would have them tortured when they lost. Hopefully ta new torture free management will allow them a more relaxed style of play.
Uh, Rikki, EXCUSE ME - we "suck" at soccer because we don't care for it. Americans can dominate in any sport to which we devote energy and resources. We prefer "American football" because in comparison soccer is BORING. We like our guys to have to wear protective gear like helmets during a game in order to avoid injury - now that's a rough and MANLY sport. Like hockey. Of course, I realize that this doesn't explain the appeal of baseball and basketball. :-) Or fishing.
Shall we compare women's soccer teams? I know for sure we have the islamic world beat, hands down.
Rikki:
Might I add ... your idea about taking off your own shirt was great! Maybe you could get the your whole section of the stadium to do it, that would get it on camera for sure! What a perfect protest for the "ruling". No fines or control by Fifa there!
I like the way your mind works ... :-)
Dear CGW
Not that I want to make a 'big deal' out of this, but really; Football is hardly boring!
We have a game simular to your 'American football' called 'Rugby'.
We Brits however, are 'rough and manly' and therefore refuse to wear padding and helmets to prevent our knees being grazed.
: )
kc:
Yes, that would explain the brain damage ... :-)
Having watched both, I find American football infinitely more interesting than soccer, an opinion shared by millions of Americans, I might add. Of course, I'm all for sports in general, but my point was that American teams excel in sports where interest lies, so we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one!
Dear CGW,
Thank you for your interesting information. But I'm afraid you haven't answered my question.
Why the Americans called it soccer instead of football? Why there's a discrepancy?
As I've said before in my previous comment, your version of "Football" play the game with hand rather than foot.
NB: During the Taliban era, football was ban in Afganistan cause mullah omar didn't like the idea of man wearing short and exposing their hairy leg.
So they turn the football stadium into execution arena where thiefs were amputated and adulterers were stoned.
"The world is on your feet"
Viva Football....! Let it be the free world's foot and the Mullah's Ball... Then it wouldn't just be the scorersremoving shirts in celebration but the entire free world - generations present and perhaps, even those yet to come.....
On a mores erious note, the mussies are hypersensitive to Western 'Soft'power - culture, movies, music, sports, attitudes, individuality etc. Which is why they lock their women up, herd thewm around like cattle, barter them into marriages like chattel and justify everything (mis)using God's name. I know of cases in my native India where under the influence of radical imama, entire mussi localities publicly broke open their TV sets (searching no doubt for the corrupting ghosts inside).
Yeah Lord, may freedom and justice, so beloved to your heart prevail at acceptable cost to this beautiful planet in this coming war! Amen.
CGW,
My yankee friend, I hate to break this to you but we are the RUGBY WORLD CUP 2003 CHAMPIONS, and as KC pointed out Rugby is our far more manly equivalent of American "football" ( it's always confused me why you guys call it that seen as your feet are hardly ever used in that game).Now I'm sure you are going to tell me that there is no American Rugby Team, why is this then? Are you too chicken to get a little bit dirty and bruised?Or is it just that you realise we Brits ,and most likely our ozzie and kiwi rivals would kick your asses into outer space thereby making your players look bigger wusses than they already do with their ten layers of padding.
I think it's also worth pointing out that americans seem to have a habit of stealing british made sports and renaming them: Baseball is like a yankee doodle version of a sport that our kids play at school ,called rounders ( again they don't wear padding).
Basketball,while I know the players in this sport wear a minimum of clothing, I'd hardly call it manly or even masculine seen as it is almost identical to a little girls game that we brits call NETBALL.
Anyway CGW I know you're probably going to take a shot back so in anticipation of this I'm going to leave you with one final thought:
FEDERER IS THE WIMBLEDON CHAMPION!!! Roddick isn't!!!
CGW,
I'm trying to get my girlfriend and some of her chesty pals to go topless every time our team score next match we go to, maybe with MOHAMMED IS A RAPIST written across their breasts!!!
Herman:
I don't know why it's called soccer and American football is different altogether, although I'm sure that if you researched the history of the game you'd find the answer. "Handball" is a different game so that name is unavailable!
Rikki ... if we are going to list everything we Yanks have "borrowed" from you Brits (and then improved :-)) we'll be here forever. Our culture is BASED on yours, for God's sake! But we like to adapt things to suit ourselves and the area of sports is no different. Rugby is a rough sport, no question. Our football is a more civilized version, a little more interesting to most of us than soccer, and a kind of middle ground between the two. (BTW, are any islamic countries involved in rugby competition?) But Americans are never afraid of "getting our asses kicked", we enjoy the spirit of competition and can always come back and kick a little ass ourselves. I personally have no idea why people find baseball or basketball interesting, although millions upon millions do, so I guess there's something for everyone. I don't suppose those sweaty, scantily-clad basketball players knocking into each other would go over too well in the muslim world, either. The women might like it, which is why the men would have it banned.
Of course women's sports are just as important as men's sports (at least increasingly so in the U.S.) so my comment about a sport being "rough and manly" was a little tongue-in-cheek. American women seem to do fairly well across the board.
But again, my point is that we don't INHERENTLY suck at soccer, nor at rugby, nor at any sport in which there is some level of interest and to which resources are devoted. How are the Brits at ice hockey?
Rikki:
The idea about your girlfriend and her friends is great also, but would be made even better if you could convince more people - men and women - to take off their shirts in protest. I don't know much about Fifa or who controls the filming at games - would doing it get it on camera? Are the games broadcast live to the muslim world? It's still worth a shot!
If you do it, PLEASE come back and post at JW and give us all the glorious details!
In this American's opinion, rugby, football, and soccer are all equally boring.
~NMJ
CGW,
Hey, hey, hey!!!Take a chill pill.I still love you
(Americans that is, I'm not trying to hit on you CGW).
Rikki:
I wasn't ever upset, just having fun ...
On a truly serious note, we Americans find no better friend nor ally in this world than you Brits ... nor could we want a stauncher companion in the face of adversity.
Plus, your military rocks!