An Iranian athlete has pulled out of a competition so as to avoid fighting an Israeli. From Al-Bawaba, with thanks to Teri:
Iranian world judo champion Arash Miresmaili, who carried his country’s flag in Friday’s olympic games opening ceremony, has pulled out of the tournament because he refused to fight an Israeli.
The 23-year-old, twice a winner of the flyweight (under 66kg) world title, opted not to take on first round opponent Ehud Vaks of Israel as an express of support for Palestine.
“Although I have trained for months and was in good shape I refused to fight my Israeli opponent to sympathize with the suffering of the people of Palestine and I do not feel upset at all,” Miresmaili told IRNA.
Miresmaili says it was about solidarity with the Palestinians. But might it have something to do with the Muslim idea that infidels are unclean? Take, for example, Miresmaili’s fellow Shi’ite, the Ayatollah Sistani. At Sistani’s website, he lists ten things that are “essentially najis” (unclean). Go to “Najis Things” in the main title line to find this list:
1. Urine
2. Faeces
3. Semen
4. Dead body
5. Blood
6. Dog
7. Pig
8. Kafir [Unbeliever]
9. Alcoholic liquors
10. The sweat of an animal who persistently eats najasat [unclean things].
He explains the uncleanness of the unbelievers in more detail. Go to “Kafir” in the submenu to see this:
107. An infidel i.e. a person who does not believe in Allah and His Oneness, is najis….As regards the people of the Book (i.e. the Jews and the Christians) who do not accept the Prophethood of Prophet Muhammad bin Abdullah (Peace be upon him and his progeny), they are commonly considered najis, but it is not improbable that they are Pak [clean]. However, it is better to avoid them.
108. The entire body of a Kafir, including his hair and nails, and all liquid substances of his body, are najis.
How could someone who believes all this participate in a judo match with an unbeliever? The physical contact with an unbeliever would make him unclean.