In discussing the mockery of Denver QB Tim Tebow earlier this season, ESPN.com’s Jemele Hill wondered, “”what if he were Muslim or Jewish?” Because I’m a helpful sort, I was quick to answer with, “I’m gonna take a wild guess that he’d not find nearly as much acceptance for public demonstrations of his faith.”
“Tebow’s ability to worship freely has not, to my knowledge, been threatened by anyone.” were my words at time. “By contrast, how tolerant were fans or media when Mahmoud Abdul- Rauf wore his religious beliefs on his sleeve?” Well, in case your sense of history is as limited as Ms. Hill’s or you have difficulty using Google, Slate’s Marcus Cederstrom is more than happy to tell you EXACTLY what happened when Abdul-Rauf wore his beliefs on his sleeve.
In 1990, Chris Jackson was drafted by the Denver Nuggets out of Louisiana State University. In 1991, Jackson converted to Islam. In 1993, he changed his name to Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. In 1996, Abdul-Rauf refused to stand for the national anthem at an NBA game. A religious storm followed.
Everyone had an opinion, from fans to sports writers to radio hosts. Sports Illustrated reported that some people suggested Abdul-Rauf be deported. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf was born in Mississippi, however, and deportation from Colorado to Mississippi is rare. Two Denver-area radio hosts even walked into a mosque with a stereo playing the Star Spangled Banner. One was wearing a turban. And a Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf T-shirt. While broadcasting live, on air.
Abdul-Rauf claimed in a 2010 interview with HoopsHype.com that “[a]fter the national anthem fiasco, nobody really wanted to touch me.” He played only three more seasons in the NBA before going overseas to play professionally. In that same interview, he discusses how his home in Mississippi was burned down just a few months prior to Sept. 11. He eventually left the state.
So Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf stood up (or in this case, sat down) for his religious beliefs. He made his religion a visible aspect of his life and a visible aspect of his professional basketball career. Just like Tim Tebow. The difference of course being that Tim Tebow was satirized on “Saturday Night Live.” Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf had his home burned down and felt blacklisted from the NBA.
I see you morphed “I hate the USA” into a religious freedom issue. Apples and oranges.
yes, well, thanks for the sophisticated take on religions other than the American majority. And thanks as well, for reinforcing the bigoted notion that observant muslims hate this country.
God Hates Flags.
I’d have to imagine people would be even less tolerant these days, which is just sad. Good article, linked it at my site http://www.thepowerwire.com
Excuse this, as it’s a personal aside, but I remember writing to Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf as a six grader in Minnesota, simply because I loved him as a player. He sent me a nice 8″x10″ signed simply “Mahmoud”. I was overjoyed. I hate to think that sixth grade me, who was an idiot, had a more reasonable view of him than our national media.
While I’m 90% aligned with you, Gerard, the fact that Abdul-Rauf’s religious expression took the form of dissing the national anthem does conflate the issue somewhat. Perhaps better analogies would be Dan “The Sundown Kid” Thomas and Shawn Green. And since one was run out of baseball before committing suicide and the other was widely ridiculed (including by CSTB) they still support the point.
If memory serves, even Hakeem Olajuwon essentially undermined Abdul-Rauf’s form of observance, and provides an example of religious views being tolerated if too big a show isn’t made of them (cue SNL sketch)
Shawn Green was ridiculed for his terrible fielding. It was Steve Lyons who bore the brunt of regular abuse from this corner. You might recall that at one point, Green was advised by yours truly to take as much time off as he found necessary. How’s that for religious tolerance?
As far as Abdul-Rauf dissing the USA is concerned, here’s his side of it from the March 14, 1996 SF Chronicle ;
In a statement released yesterday afternoon, Abdul-Rauf said his refusal to participate in pregame patriotism, which led to his suspension Tuesday, was not meant to be “disrespectful to those who regard the national anthem as a sacred ceremony.”
“It is my understanding that 100 percent honesty and sincerity is the requirement for participation in the national anthem,” Abdul-Rauf said. “As such, I chose not to disrespect anyone and remain in the locker room or hallway area while the anthem was being played.”