A suspected arson attack damaged the main club house of Israeli Premier League side Beitar Jerusalem on Friday, a day after four fans were charged in court in connection with racist incitement against the team's recruitment of Muslim players, police said.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the fire, which caused no injuries, caused "extensive damage" to the premises next to the team's main training grounds. Reuters television footage showed trophies and other memorabilia were destroyed.

"Initial findings show the blaze was caused by a number of suspects" and police were investigating a possible link to protests over the team's signing up of two Chechen Muslim players last month, Rosenfeld said.

The Israel Football Association (IFA) said that soccer's world governing body FIFA had requested clarification following racist chanting by fans at a league fixture last month against the Chechen players.

A Jerusalem court had indicted four fans on Thursday for involvement in that incitement, police said.

The club has also been disciplined for that incident and were ordered to close the Teddy Kollek Stadium's 7,000-seat eastern grandstand, where hard core supporters sit, for five matches. They also received a 50,000 shekels ($13,500) fine.

Beitar are a bastion of Israel's political right wing and the only leading team in the country never to have signed an Arab player because of fan pressure.

They have the worst disciplinary record in Israel's Premier League. Since 2005, Beitar have faced more than 20 hearings and have received various punishments, including points deductions, fines and matches behind closed doors.

Reuters, 8 February 2013

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Muslim sportsmen have not always had the opportunity to make headlines in the United States, but a handful of Muslim players in the nation’s leading football league, the NFL, have performed brilliantly over the course of their careers.

Brothers Hamza and Husain Abdullah are highly regarded safeties in the NFL circuit. They both were raised as Muslims along with 10 other siblings in Pomona, California. Hamza is a safety for the Cleveland Browns, while Husain is a safety for the Minnesota Vikings. The Abdullah brothers have shown a keen interest in tackling misperceptions about Islam through sport. They publicly practice their religion, and Hamza Abdullah has gone as far as saying that religion, by choice, is his first priority – ahead of sports. This was evident when the Abdullah brothers went for Hajj in the middle of the NFL season at the peak of their careers.

Az-Zahir Hakim is another American Muslim who has made it big in the NFL. Born in Los Angeles, California, Hakim is a free agent wide receiver. He had previously been associated with the St. Louis Rams, but he has experience with several other teams including the Detroit Lions and the San Diego Chargers as a free agent. Abdul Hodge, another Muslim NFL player, was affiliated with the Green Bay Packers, the Cincinnati Bengals and the Carolina Panthers. His  158 tackles in 2005 is the second best performance in Iowa in a season.

Several National Football League players have actually converted from other religions to Islam during the course of their career or after retirement. Ahmad Rashād, an award-winning sports caster who used to play football in his early days. He was born as Robert Earl Moore, but opted to change his name when he converted to Islam in 1972. Rashād spent most of his playing days with the Minnesota Vikings. Ryan Emerson Wilcox Harris, another convert to Islam, is a current NFL player associated with the Houston Texans. He was also a part of the Denver Broncos, and for a short period of time, the Philadelphia Eagles.

While the total number of Muslims in the NFL since its formation in 1920 remains extremely low, many individuals who practice Islam have made a mark on the league and the sport in general. They have been able to reduce the gap of misunderstanding that exists between Islam in the West, in a small yet significant way.

 

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A Muslim family representing England in the European Chess Championships taking place in Austria allege to have been the victim of Islamophobia, racism and even physical hate crime. 13-year-old Yusuf Bin-Suhayl was attacked and left bleeding by the mother of a fellow English competitor.

The family have had a police escort to their hotel and tournament.  Father Sohale Rahman has made numerous complaints to the English Chess Federation who is overseeing the competition but to no avail.  Throughout the competition the Rahman family who have three children representing England have been subjected to bullying and hate crime.  Mother, Tomasina Contu, was spat on when she asked the father of one English competitor not to bully her son! It is of no coincidence that Tomasina wears a hijab.

The problems seem to have started from when the family asked for halal meals for themselves. Father Suhayl Rahman said, "I cannot believe my family has been subjected to so much racism and Islamophobia  and the English Chess Federation has just stood by and done nothing."

The Islamic Human Rights Commission will be launching a campaign to see that those responsible for Islamophobia are brought to justice and those that are responsible for dereliction of duty are held responsible.

Chair of IHRC, Massoud Shadjareh, said, "This is a shocking case of racism and Islamophobia and one that should not go unnoticed, the children are so young and should not be subjected to such hate."

IHRC press release, 10 August 2012

See also IHRC action alert, 10 August 2012

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