In March 1996, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf remained seated during the national anthem before a game he was playing for the Denver Nuggets. Through an act that disobeyed NBA rules, Abdul-Rauf sought to obey the principles of Islam that he thought, at the time, disagreed with the United States' aggression. Abdul-Rauf was vilified by the media and the U.S. at large for his actions.
Few moments in sports are as intriguing as those that spark controversy -Ron Artest's brawling, Barry Bonds' magically inflating arms, Mike Tyson's never-ending antics. And when such issues take the stage, usually a certain level of understanding follows. But for Abdul-Rauf, the case seemed to be otherwise. And that was in 1996, a time before 9/11, when many Muslims were implicated for terrorism, pejoratively altering the Muslim image.
So when Andrea Armstrong in 2004 lobbied to her coaches and the NCAA to be able to wear Islam-required full body cover and a head scarf to play basketball for South Florida, her idea was all but warmly received by the media. So brazen was the press, in fact, that she left the team, her school and Islam to return to her home and Christianity, saying she had made a mistake.
It doesn't have to be an issue
but they made it an issue said Nadim Ayche, a Lebanese exchange student and secretary of the Muslim Students Association. The environment did not make it easy for her.
The initial actions of Abdul-Rauf and Armstrong are exemplary of faith strong enough to transcend negativism in the United States, where Islam is largely misunderstood, and where the stigma of the Muslim terrorist is prevalent. It is that faith that Muslims, who compose the second-largest religious group in the United States, use to carry out their lives, in or out of the sports arena.
It's a discipline said Ayche, who was an expert table tennis player in Lebanon and who plays soccer and tennis regularly. By my faith
I'm supposed to have certain disciplines
and I follow them whether I'm on the field or not. When you pray
when you buy
when you sell ... the law includes everything.
So agrees Abu Abdullah, coach of Ohio's club tennis team and Athens Middle School's soccer and tennis teams.
When you do any volunteer work
that means you are worshipping God
so you are going to benefit from coaching
he said. Your religion ... is not just worshipping God. When you go to school
you do good work and practice and do your best
