Two die as hardline Islamists ban World Cup

Hardline Islamic courts shut cinema halls and barred residents from watching the World Cup, prompting scores of civilians to protest the ban in which two people were killed, court officials and residents have said.

The gunmen loyal to the Joint Islamic Courts (JIC), cut electricity, cleared cinema halls and warned residents against watching the football tournament in areas they control, forcing a violent protest late on Saturday in which two people were killed, residents said Sunday.

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"The Islamic courts have ordered the closure of three cinema halls," said Sukahola resident Abdulaziz Hanad told AFP. "They want to make sure that nobody in Mogadishu watches the World Cup."

"Since the Islamic courts took control of Mogadishu, we knew they would not allow us to watch football," said a dejected Dahir Abubakar Hassan, a resident of northern Mogadishu.

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/06/11/060611162437.7450zyd1.html

This could cause a revolution against the new warlords, and I'm not entirely joking.

Are the clothes considered immodest? Does it promote ideals antithetical to Islam? I am having a cultural disconnect here. I want to understand what motivated this violent opposition to something that unites most of the world.

al-Sistani the Grand Ayatollah for the Shiite faith strongly discourages the playing of chess, for example.

and he has called for the killing of gays and lesbians, something that the Christian fundies would love to do in the US.

The only difference between religious wackos is in their symbols.

but if you look around you can find 'official Islamist soccer rules'. Read them, and you'll understand.

:shrug:

The Muslims I have known have been people of peace, more like Quakers than Terrorists.

Islamist does not equal Muslim.

"Islamic courts officials said they were against some elements of World Cup, notably the advertisements for alcohol."

Although, there could well be an element of propaganda here. Obviously, the west is not in favor of this government gaining power. True or false, this is a powerful symbol of repression, and would help to delegitimize the latest victors.

"In the seat of the impotent and fractured Somali government in Baidoa, about 250 kilometres (155) miles northwest of the capital, residents were not allowed to watch the 10.00 pm (1900 GMT) World Cup match because of a curfew."

The other side is doing this too, over a curfew.

As usual, it's hard to say what is really going on.

Anything that is fun is by definition bad. The Taliban even banned singing and music.

So said H.L. Mencken.

eta: Peas

snip>

The last time I visited G. in his shop was two weeks ago. Since January, G.’s shop has been the center of some football (soccer) activity. His obsession with football has gotten to the point where the shop closes up two hours early so that E., the cousin and various other friends can gather for PlayStation FIFA tournaments. These tournaments are basically a group of grown men sitting around, maneuvering little digital men running around after a digital ball, screaming encouragement and insults at each other. If you walk into the shop looking to buy something during those hours, you risk being thrown out or simply told to “Just take it, take it- whatever it is. Take it and GO!”. Every World Cup year, G. and his wife only half-jokingly quarrel about changing his only sons name to that of the footballer of the year. (As a sort of compromise, family and friends have all agreed to call his 14-year-old son “Ronaldino” until the games are over.)

G.’s cousin, who has lived in Canada for nearly 15 years, recently sent G. a large, colorful Brazilian flag- perfect for hanging on a shop window. He told us how he was planning to hang it right in the center and paint under it in big bold letters “VIVA BRASILIA!!”. E. looked dubious as G. excitedly described how he’d be changing the colors of the display- green and yellow to match the flag.

It was up for nearly two whole days before the problems began. The first hint of a problem came through G.’s neighbor. He stopped by the shop and told G. that a black-turbaned young cleric had been walking past the shop window, when the flag attracted his attention. According to the neighbor Abu Rossul, the young cleric stopped, gazed at the flag, took note of the shops name and location and went on his way. G. shrugged it off with the words, “Well maybe he’s a fan of Brazil too…” Abu Rossul wasn’t so sure, “He looked more like the ‘Viva Sadr!’ type to me…”.

more- http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/

As it turns out, Muqtada has a fatwa against football (soccer). I downloaded it and this is a translation of what he says when someone asks him for a fatwa on football and the World Cup:

“In reality, my father's position on this topic isn't deficient... Not only my father but Sharia also prohibits such activities which keep the followers too occupied for worshiping, keep people from remembering . Habeebi, the West created things that keep us from completing ourselves (perfection). What did they make us do? Run after a ball, habeebi… What does that mean? A man, this large and this tall, Muslim- running after a ball? Habeebi, this ‘goal’ as it is called… if you want to run, run for a noble goal. Follow the noble goals which complete you and not the ones that demean you. Run after a goal, put it in your mind and everyone follows their own path to the goal to satisfy God. That is one thing. The second thing, which is more important, we find that the West and especially Israel, habeebi the Jews, did you see them playing soccer? Did you see them playing games like Arabs play? They let us keep busy with soccer and other things and they've left it. Have you heard that the Israeli team, curse them, got the World Cup? Or even America? Only other games... They've kept us occuppied with them- singing, and soccer, and smoking, stuff like that, satellites used for things which are blasphemous while they occuppy themselves with science etc. Why habeebi? Are they better than us- no we're better than them.”
http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/


It's bad over there :(

That was when football was banned on holidays in England, because it took time away from valuable archery practice (this was during the first phase of the Hundred Years' War, when longbows used by common people were Edward III's best weapon):

I can almost see the point in 14th century England, as archery was pretty important to English armies.

just like the 14th century decree. Come to think of it, I can remember seeing an Islamic online forum where they were discussing this - some said it was a waste of time, undignified, and invented in the West, so therefore un-Islamic; while others pointed out it kept you fit, which was good for any struggles you might participate in the future. Slightly scary, if those were true postings ...

The extremely pious often think anything that detracts from prayer and meditation is inherently bad (e.g. monasteries don't usually have gymnasiums). On the other hand, they sometimes try to channel that energy for their own purposes (e.g. YMCA).

Maybe it relates to the denial of the body in favor of the alleged soul. Sports and sex both relate to the body, so I think that's in there too, somewhere.

countries because it was an affront. Wasn't sure what the problem was, it was advertising dhimmi brothels...

I noticed the other day that two of the nations participating are Iran and Saudi Arabia. So, I guess they're not "Islamic" enough for the Islamists in Somalia? :wtf: In fact, Iran played Mexico today. Talk about a match to make a Freeper's head explode! :dilemma: Results are here: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/soccer/specials/world_cup/2006/06/11/iran.mexico.ap/index.html?cnn=yes

So much so that at least one cleric disapproves.

http://www.memritv.org/Transcript.asp?P1=1162 (Yeah, it's MEMRI; while biased as to selection, their translations usually are accurate.)

---
You know how our sons used to admire one of the great players. You know how our sons used to admire him. He came as a guest to a certain Saudi city. He was hosted by one of the soccer clubs. They imitated him in everything, including his earring. Someone asked a young man: "Why are you wearing an earring?" He answered: "Because that player wears one." He said to him: "But he wears it on his left ear," so the young man moved it to his left ear. Do you know what became of this player? He became a drug addict, despite being an international player, and he began to visit the so-called Wailing Wall in Israel. This is the man admired by our sons, I'm sad to say.

<...>

During the last World Cup, while the call for prayer was being aired on TV... the TV that was broadcasting the game announced: "We will now broadcast the call for prayer." The ball was really close to the goal at that moment, and one guy got up and cursed the muazzin.

<...>

I am saying to the fathers, to the mothers, and to the people who watch these games: On Judgment Day, a page in the book will be opened for you, and it will say that you sat and watched the games. Will this make you happy or miserable? Will this make you happy on Judgment Day, when you face Allah, or will you wish you had never watched these games?

Osama: He told me a year ago: "I saw in a dream, we were playing a soccer game against the Americans. When our team showed up in the field, they were all pilots!" He said: "So I wondered if that was a soccer game or a pilot game? Our players were pilots." He (Abu-Al-Hasan) didn't know anything about the operation until he heard it on the radio. He said the game went on and we defeated them. That was a good omen for us.

Sulayman ((Abu Guaith)): I was sitting with the Shaykh (bin Laden) in a room, then I left to go to another room where there was a TV set. The TV broadcasted the big event. The scene was showing an Egyptian family sitting in their living room, they exploded with joy. Do you know when there is a soccer game and your team wins, it was the same expression of joy.

http://www.npr.org/news/specials/response/investigation/011213.binladen.transcript.html


I am reminded of a recent episode of Penn & Teller's Bullshit!, on manners. Penn and Teller contend that manners and etiquette are actually designed to control and marginalize people, to make them self-conscious about their social standing by denying them the ability to express themselves as they wish.

That, I think, is pretty much what organized religion is about, too.

executions.