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Sunday, December 7, 2003

CNN.com - Muslim football team names spark protest - Dec. 7, 2003

IRVINE, California (AP) -- 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, "uprising" in Arabic, is the term used by Palestinians for their revolts against Israeli occupation from 1987 to 1993 and over the past three years. The recent intifada has seen numerous suicide bombings by Palestinian militants. 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...

Gee, ya think? What ever happened to furry animal names like "Badgers" and "Lions?"

..."It bothers me a little bit," said Khan, 18. But, he added: "They were just trying to be cool."

Cool. That's why terrorism and the violence of the Palestinian war is a poison to everyone, including the future of the Palestinians themselves, and us here as well. Politics makes people choose sides. So what side are the moderate Muslims on? Where are the moderate Muslims? These are just regular kids here in The States.

Cool, indeed.

Update: Via Robert Spencer, Muslim Football has its own website. Yeesh.

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