The whole idea of sponsorship is to advertise the sponsor’s product, but that doesn’t matter. The principle is always and everywhere the same: in Muslim countries, one must conform one’s behavior to suit Islamic sensibilities. And in non-Muslim countries, one must conform one’s behavior to suit Islamic sensibilities.
“Sonny Bill Williams REFUSES to wear the Super League sponsor’s logo due to his Muslim beliefs – despite making $10million to play,” by Shive Prema, Daily Mail Australia, January 22, 2020:
Sonny Bill Williams has refused to wear his Super League sponsor’s logo due to his Muslim beliefs.
The 34-year-old rugby league player signed a $10million, two-year contract with Canadian team the Toronto Wolfpack in November 2019.
The Wolfpack play with English and French teams in the Betfred Super League, which is chiefly sponsored by British betting company Betfred.
However, gambling is considered haram in Islam, meaning that is forbidden in addition to other practices such as eating pork or drinking alcohol.
Toronto chairman Bob Hunter told the UK Telegraph on Wednesday that the club supports his decision.
‘I think Betfred will benefit by taking the position that we respect and honour the player’s religious beliefs,’ he told the publication.
‘In today’s society there are some very sensitive issues but I think the sponsor can say ‘yes, okay, we understand this. He’s a big brand and big name but we get it’.’
Since 2017, the betting company has sponsored the league, which was renamed to the Betfred Super League as a result.
The Betfred logo appears on the right sleeve of the Toronto Wolfpack jersey, as well as all other Super League teams and on match balls.
In 2017, Williams covered up the Bank of New Zealand logo on his Auckland Blues kit shirt with permission from the New Zealand Rugby Union.
‘My objection to wearing clothing that markets banks, alcohol and gambling companies is central to my religious beliefs and it is important to me to have been granted this exemption,’ Williams said at the time.
‘As I learn more and develop a better understanding of my faith I am no longer comfortable doing things I used to do. So while a logo on a jersey might seem like a small thing to some people, it is important to me that I do the right thing with regards to my faith and hope people respect that.’…
Clifford Fodor says
Then let him wear a burka.
The thanklessness, and unapologetic boldness of these Muslims are beyond words to describe.
Westman says
This may be the problem: “As I learn more and develop a better understanding of my faith I am no longer comfortable doing things I used to do. ”
The American Indians had an ornamental net called the “Dream Catcher”. Islam has the Quran, Hadith, and demands obedience to prayers that form a, “Mind Catcher”. This is the danger of Islam. Like a parasite that takes over a hosts body, it takes control of human lives and uses them for its own ends. Mr. Wiliams thinks he is in control, yet his compliance to halal ideas did not require any thought or retrospection, just obedience. Now he is an officially trained spokesperson for Islam, complete with invisible puppet strings. His Imam must be elated.
William P Wortman says
Try Christianity and it would make you uncomfortable worshiping Satan.
unbeliever1 says
“Sonny Bill Williams”? That name is un- Islamic as anything. Why hasn’t he changed his name to an Arabic one?
FYI says
Yes.
Surely the convert needs a new name…to go with that muslim beard.
Prince Sultan aziz azwas Abdooool bin Abdoool bin Abdool As Saud
as salaam aleikum al Jihadi
gravenimage says
I’m sure he has.
G P says
This is NZ’s biggest blowhard who has the biggest love affair with himself. Many of his own people and other Polynesians can’t stand him.
Steven RSA says
Sonny Bill Williams refuses to wear the logo of a company engaged in an activity that is haram, yet has no problem taking money derived from that haram activity. Ok.
mortimer says
You said it, Steven. His money comes from banks that pay interest and charge interest.
Steven RSA says
Its known as quid pro Mo.
PRCS says
+1
GreekEmpress says
Good one!
Vitaly Citovsky says
this is precisely the point.
Jhn1 says
Aren’t tattoos “unIslamic”?
Buraq says
Then I presume he’ll start wiping his butt with 3 smooth stones after he dumps. Using toilet roll would be so-o-o-o un-Islamic! Clown!
(Evidence for this is the report narrated by Ahmad (23627) from ‘Aa’ishah, that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When any one of you goes and defecates, let him take with him three stones and cleanse himself with them, and that will be sufficient for him.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Irwa’ (44). Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on him) narrated that there was consensus among the Sahaabah that it is permissible to use only stones and that it is not obligatory to use water. Al-Mughni, 1/208.
mortimer says
‘Jahilliya’ is an Islamic cultural term that includes every expression of culture that is non-Islamic.
I’m sure that Sonny Bill Williams is making up his own Sharia rules and I bet there are fatwas that allow Muslims to wear uniforms with non-Islamic symbols.
Sonny Bill Williams is simply mistaken and making a BIG THING of it. Displaying your ignorance of Sharia is nothing to boast about.
At the least, he could apply DARURA. Sharia provides that Muslims may apply their discretion if it benefits Islam.
“DARURA” is the Sharia doctrine of “NECESSITY”. Muslims can forego any Islamic ruling when necessary and not commit a sin. Darura is the equivalent of the saying, “NO PROBLEM!”
DARURA applies wherever Sharia Law is NOT the law of the land … because … Koran 4:28 “Allah wishes to lighten your burden, for man was created weak.”
If a Muslim is hungry, he may eat pork. If meat is not halal, a Muslim may say a special prayer and it *magically* becomes halal.
gravenimage says
But what’s more Islamic than forcing the ‘filthy Infidels’ to accept Islamic norms? That’s the whole point of this.
Wellington says
Succinctly and accurately stated, gravenimage.
Tom says
“An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.” Winston Churchill.
Appeasement in all its forms is going to come back to bite those who appease Islam. Hopefully when the populist nationalists win power the appeasers in the west will reap the reward of their cowardice.
mortimer says
Businessmen are betting on the crocodile having a full belly when it’s their turn. They can ignore ideology when a good contract is on the table.
DHazard says
“My objection to wearing clothing that markets banks, …”
Where exactly does he put his money? Who actually pays him? Has he EVER played in a sports venue whose construction was NOT financed? Does he always pay for everything with cash? Or barter? “My second wife for your giraffe. Deal?” Does he have the vaguest idea of how banking works? I don’t.
Michael Pillon says
Well, Islam also forbids any form of tattooing on the body, and also intense anal involvement between men while on a religious pilgrimage. But here Sonny Bill Williams is…
John Sharp says
Yes true tattoo as Unislamic
So is freedom of mind
Joe Rugby says
When the Super League mandates all clubs wear the Rainbow Patch on all kits during Pride Month, will Mr. Williams comply, or will the SL accomodate?
Jayell says
So the Great Prophet would have condemned betting whillst indulging in rape, pillage, theft, murder, deliberate deceit and paedophilia. That makes a lot of sense – to a muslim mind, perhaps.
gravenimage says
Exactly, Jayell–Muslims condemn reasonable interest, but are fine with piracy and slavery.
PRCS says
They DON’T condemn reasonable interest.
They include it in the loan, just like we do: they just don’t call it interest.
Another Muslim ‘sidestep’.
gravenimage says
Yes–Islamic sleight-of-hand.
Jay says
Yet …… Muslim gangs commit murder, rape women, pillage cities, create no go zones, attack Jewish people and Christians worldwide, etc. etc. and we are supposed to believe this highly over paid soccer player is upset over a team logo?? It’s complete insanity!!
Canada beware! There is no such thing as assimilation by Muslims, only demands and destruction!
FYI says
Of course:the convert to islam..
to al lah{“The BEST of deceivers” k3:54}
to muhammed{the self-confessed false prophet,al tabari 6:111}
And speaking of ALL BLACKS[the NZ team}….that reminds me of the awkward fact about his “prophet” muhammed{pbuh,(actual) Prophecy Be Unknown to him}somebody whose slaves were ALL BLACKS.
SAHIH MUSLIM 3901
Did Sonny Bill kiss the BLACK stone at the kaaba?
{in islam Black is associated with the color of satan ,sin{the stone is black because it absorbs sins you see?}..etc
And didn’t this convert play for the Crusaders{the wussies}:those people terrified of a sword?
All that virtue-signalling false piety of the convert;the wudu,the long faces at ramadam.the inability to get Irony or Logic,the Arabic study to come {SPOILER ALERT:the koran is full of errors ..}
Do you know what is “unislamic”?
These things are missing in islam and thus could be considered “unislamic”:The Golden Rule,any concept of obeying the Exodus 20 Commandments,Tolerance of other creeds,respect for Jews and Christians{CURSED in koran 9:30}…
islam is not for bright people:either stay away from it or abandon it.
tim gallagher says
Because I follow Rugby League (as opposed to the more widely played, but more boring game, Rugby Union, which the New Zealand All Blacks play) I have followed this attempt to spread Rugby League to Canada a bit. They needed some big name type of player to get the new team in Canada noticed a bit, and they chose Sonny Bill Williams. Even though the owners of this new team (and I don’t like its chances of making a mark in Canada) say they don’t mind Williams’s Muslim stance, I think they’d be pretty unhappy. Williams is a very old player by now, but is well known to rugby followers. I live in Australia and Rugby League is the main sport I follow and Sonny Bill Williams was (many years ago) a fantastic Rugby League player. He played for a Rugby League team in Sydney, the Bulldogs, way back in the 1990’s I’d say, that had a big Muslim following because of the area of Sydney it was located in. Maybe that somehow influenced him to become a Muslim way back then. An outspoken Aboriginal sports star, Anthony Mundine, who also became a Muslim, seemed to influence Williams back then. Many Rugby League players are reasonably smart, as opposed to the dumb footballer type clichés your often hear, (a few have become medical doctors, etc – well, not many) but Williams never seemed to me to be all that smart. I wouldn’t look for any profound thought in the decisions he makes, including this one. He never seemed like a bad guy, I can’t recall him making “radical” Muslim type statements, which Mundine did, but just how he wandered into Islam, when he could have chosen Christianity or Buddhism is beyond me. Choosing Islam always amazes me as a free decision anyone makes.
gravenimage says
Thanks for that background, Tim.
According to Wikipedia, Sonny Bill Williams converted to Islam while while in France playing for Toulon in 2009. Like Marseilles and Nice, it has a huge Muslim population. Of course, it is a hotbed of Jihad–just recently, Jihadists blew up a car in a market square, killing four; stabbed several in a supermarket; and a plot on Toulon’s Naval Base was foiled.
FYI says
According to wikipedia Mundine made certain homophobic comments that according to some were “incompatible with the Aboriginal dreamtime”.
Converts {like muslims in general} don’t get the Irony of joining a religious cult whose “prophet” muhammed was the owner,buyer and seller… of Black African Slaves{sahih muslim 3901}
islam is the religion for those who don’t get Irony or who cannot think for themselves
Wise people stay away from it
Smart people leave it
Fools convert to it
You should always “look before you leap”:it wouldn’t matter if it was conversion to Buddhism or Hare Krishnas.
islam is for fools.
PRCS says
“(as opposed to the more widely played, but more boring game.”
Cricket?
tim gallagher says
Thanks for the comments. I thought that Williams had become a Muslim much earlier, gravenimage. I think my memory is a little shaky on his playing days as well. I do remember him as being an awesome athlete when much younger than he is now. I’m sure Mundine did seem to have some influence on Williams. FYI, Mundine’s most atrocious comment, though I’m relying on memory, was that he said the USA deserved the 2001 terrorist attack on the towers in New York. I couldn’t stand the man already, but that really made me loathe him. I think Mundine has seen himself as a Muhammad Ali type of outspoken champion of blacks, etc, except he always sounds so dumb that it doesn’t work. An atrocious person. PRCS, about cricket, there are now three versions of the game and I only watch the shortest version of the game these days, which has plenty of action in it. This is not about Islam, but I have a question for the Americans who read this. Back in 2012, I saw what I still think is the single most extraordinary, freakish thing I’ve seen in all the years I’ve watched sport. It is the amazing somersault touchdown by Jerome Simpson in American football. Google “Jerome Simpson” and click on “Jerome Simpson flip” if you haven’t seen it. I have often wondered if most Americans have seen this unbelievable feat of athleticism. I have told many of our sports commentators here in Australia to check it out and I always say that it deserves to be seen by everyone. I’ve kind of become the PR man for Simpson in telling many people to watch it. It’s very dangerous and I don’t believe anyone will try such a thing again. He could surely have come down and broken his neck if anything went wrong. I guess I think that, if you have 300 million people as the USA does, then one day you come up with someone who does such a freakish thing. I do hope that most Americans are aware of Simpson’s amazing, once in a lifetime type of feat.
gravenimage says
Tim, I think the situation with Sonny Bill Williams in Canada is similar to that of soccer great Pele when he played for an American team back in the 1970s, when soccer was pretty nascent in the US. Pele had been a stellar player but was rather past his prime at the time–but even many Americans who knew little about the game had heard of him.
The big difference, of course, is that Pele was a great ambassador for the sport, as well as a very decent human being and all around nice guy. Not so with the aggressive Muslim supremacist Williams…
Peter35 says
Right on there, G.I.! No comparison.
gravenimage says
Agreed, Peter.
tim gallagher says
There’s no doubt about it, gravenimage. The aim in getting Sonny Bill Williams to go and play with this team in Canada is to get a very well known player in rugby ( he played both Rugby League and then Rugby Union) to try to get some publicity for the game in Canada. It is exactly what they did with Pele, ( which I had forgotten) except, of course, that soccer is a far bigger game and Pele was known everywhere. Rugby League isn’t a big game at all. In Australia, I’d say Australian Rules football is a bigger sport and getting bigger, but I was brought up on Rugby League and it is the sport I like. Rugby League is the main type of football in New South Wales and Queensland. I doubt whether this taking the game to Canada will work. You know how I feel about islam, although I have to say again, I don’t find Williams is a person I can hate. Mundine definitely is. I’ll never understand why anyone freely chooses Islam, but Williams just seems kind of dumb to me (why he joined Islam I’ll never understand) and not a really malicious type of person. I’m probably wrong. Muslims are always being pains in the arse like this. I’m pretty sure there was a Muslim cricketer, playing for South Africa, named Amla who, a few years back, refused to wear a beer manufacturer’s logo on his cricket outfit. There are probably other examples as well. Islam is always displaying its incompatibility.
gravenimage says
Tim, I wasn’t meaning to imply that rugby is as big a game as is soccer globally–just that both sports are (or were until the last couple of decades re soccer) underrepresented in North America. I’m sure that for those who know a bit about rugby that Williams would be a draw.
And Williams may indeed be more a dope than specifically evil–but he is still pushing Shari’ah in the West. As you note, Hashim Amla has done the same refusing to wear the Castle Lager logo. And then there has been pressure for other teams to remove crosses from their logos or to change their names. More stealth Jihad.
By the way, Williams has also gotten a teammate, his brother, and his mother to convert to Islam–now she’s sporting an ugly Hijab.
He’s also said “The hardest thing for me is I live in a society where the majority are Christians or Catholics”–why would that be? New Zealand, France, and Canada are all countries with freedom of religion. What he really means it that he hates living with Infidels.
tim gallagher says
gravenimage, you are right. You know, when you said earlier on that Williams became a Muslim when he went to France to play Rugby there, I had completely forgotten that he went to France. Once he left the local Australian Rugby League scene I no longer had any interest in what he was doing. I had some vague idea that he’d become a Muslim years before that when he played for the Bulldogs team in Sydney because they have a big following amongst the Muslim community in Sydney. Naturally, for that reason, they are my least favourite team. I was going to mention the fact that many of the Rugby League and Union players are from a Pacific island background and they are often very strong Christian believers. I was thinking that he wouldn’t get other people from a Pacific Islander background, which is part of his background, to join him in islam. Maybe Williams is complaining about the fact that the New Zealanders, especially the Pacific islanders, aren’t budging. They are staunch Christians. Some of them will play it very tough during a game, then players from both teams will get together in a Christian prayer circle after the game is over. Like you, I can’t stand islam. I would ask anyone who joins Islam, Do you seriously believe that god(if god exists) condones all the calls to kill non-Muslims, the child brides and so on? If god is this revolting type of god that Muslims believe in then I’d say such a god can get stuffed. You are right about what a dangerous load of Islamic crap he no doubt believes and would be pushing. After he became a Muslim I’d see him interviewed occasionally and I’d think, why have you become a Muslim. I would try to figure out what was going on his brain. He is very quietly spoken, very calm, but kind of a blank wall. I could never figure out what was going on inside him. Probably not much. Just to finish, maybe you don’t follow sport much, but I’ll ask you anyway, do you and most Americans know about the amazing Jerome Simpson somersault touchdown in American football that I mentioned up above? I think it is twice as good as anything else I’ve seen in sport. I’ve been wondering for a while about whether it is something that is well known to Americans or not. I’d say it is worth seeing even for people who don’t like sport at all. What he did is absolutely freakish.
spiro says
cancelled this arrogant little self righteous jerks contract and send him back to his rat hole homeland
They all seems to think their above everyone one else they need some attitude adjustment
But of course the team will no doubt sell out to this little bully anything for a $
gravenimage says
Canada: Muslim rugby star refuses to wear league sponsor’s logo because it’s un-Islamic
………………..
If so, this Muslim should find another team. But I doubt he will; instead, he will just try to force the to accommodate his demands.
PRCS says
What is the matter with these ‘reverts’?
Don’t they know:
“‘Allah did not create man so that he could have fun.”
Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini
Thomas Richard says
Intellectual blackmail……cleverly disguised as Islam….
James Lincoln says
Good luck trying to tell anyone, let alone a muslim, with a seven-figure salary much of anything…
Peter35 says
This half-wit is a might be a good rugby player, but is otherwise an embarrassment to NZ–his country and my native country.
Why would any sane person convert to islam–a cult so atrociously murderous, sex driven and misogynistic as to make Jim Jones look like a choir-boy.
b.a. freeman says
“… a logo on a jersey might seem like a small thing … ”
—
just wait until he learns that muhammed is the al-insan al-kamil (perfect man) and uswa hasana (model of conduct for all male muslims), and *THEN* learns what muhammed actually did; should be interesting!
gravenimage says
He’s been a Muslim for over ten years now, so there is a good chance that he knows.
Battle says
He will not comply with stun first, marriage to one woman, no wife beating, rights for Jews Christians, Hindus and Buddhists etc, not stoning to death women adulterers and not throwing homosexuals off buildings
Marilyn says
kick his ass off the team; he made his choice of islam, he should suffer the consequences; hope he isnt homosexual and THEY found out, he’ll find his going off top of a building for sure. Nothing good can ever be said about islam, NEVER.
Relic says
hussy
Maryann Hurley says
He should be fired if they do what he wants there is no stopping these people. He should give the money back and go live on minimum wage. Respect your decision to completely disrespect Canada, you have got to be kidding. Some people dont deserve the good luck they get.
John says
Then SACK the Ungrateful Terrorist Lover, after all, he by becoming a moslem Shit on his own Ancestry also. Just another Piece of the World,s FILTH who thinks he’s above everyone else. The Devil’s Advocate.
infidel says
One more thing I would like to bring to attention of our readers from the West. Today many Paki and Bangladeshi immigrants to the West keep FAKE HINDU names so that they pass of Hindu Indians (the same Hindu Indians that they hate). Since they look like us, it is very easy to fool Westerners..
So B4 U get into any dealings with them.. PS VERIFY THAT THEY ARE REALLY HINDU INDIANS… For all that U know, they could be a fraudulent Paki Muslim or god forbid, even a mad Jehaadi……Be very careful.
infidel says
This idiot used to be a very sensible Maori Christian from NZ and once I have seen him in person and shook hands in Sydney. But as the story always goes… ISLAM GOT HIM… Sad indeed!!!
TheBuffster says
In this particular case I’m not so sure that the companies who give the player an exemption regarding logo wearing are caving in like dhimmis. If a Hindu objected to wearing the logo of a beef company, or if a very strict fundamentalist Christian didn’t want to advertise on his person a casino or alcohol company, or if any player objected on ethical grounds to wearing the logo of a certain company, it would be wrong to force him to go against his conscience. There’s no reason why every player has to wear the advertising, anyhow. And there would be a whole lot of bad feeling if a company insisted that players be forced to… submit.
If CAIR started advertising through logos on sports team apparel, I would certainly want players to be free to refuse to wear that without being kicked off the team.
gravenimage says
Buffster, Muslims do this kind of thing *all the time*–it is a key part of Islamizing the West.
SB says
Send him to the NFL.
ZIRKSTY (@ZIRKSTY) says
Not yet played a match for Toronto and asking for submission to malsi.Will he also want to strike at the necks of non believers during the half time interval?
Jayme says
After every home game the players goes and mingle with the fans in the beer garden is he going to refugee that as well.
Valkyrie Ziege says
; So are tattoos. Time for the laborious tattoo laser removal.
In for a penny, in for a pound, Mr. Purity.
Giacomo Latta says
‘My objection to wearing clothing that markets banks, alcohol and gambling companies is central to my religious beliefs…’
An objection to signing with a team or league that he knows damn well is sponsored by a betting enterprise then taking the money and run, not so much.
The Truth says
The sponsors won’t miss out on much as this guy usually spends more time injured on the sidelines than actually playing…. hence the name Medical Bill Williams
jca reid says
One can respect Williams’ ability as an athlete, but between his ears he has no more reasoning ability or cognitive thought than a child. One need to sit down with him & have a good discussion with him about Islam & Mohammed. Mind you, it has often been said discussing Islam etc. with a Muslim, is like playing chess against a pigeon, where all the pigeon does is walk all over the board, knocking the pieces over, cra**ing on the lot & it thinks it has won!
Don Rugdee says
Many years ago I read in the newspapers that he converted to marry a muslim woman. I could be wrong though.
Rosanne Rossi says
He should also refuse the money since they “sponsor” the team. Covering a logo is a lame effort and he got his publicity for Islam with no sacrifice. I wonder what this player “sponsors” with his $10 million he’s getting? I think he will eventually destroy the morale on the team. Why are they paying him, as he boycotts them. So moronic. When the team starts losing, their fan base will dry up and the money will too. They will get what they deserve for pandering to Islam. I feel bad for the teammates who have to deal with this decision. Christian a Hewish players should start wearing religious emblems. Would there be backlash for that? Let them wear crucifixes and Jewish stars as fair play.