Just a guess here, but I suspect the referees in last night’s NFL game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the New England Patriots probably didn’t recognize a Muslim prayer in the end zone because it hardly ever happens, if at all.
So when Husain Abdullah from the Kansas City Chiefs went down for a quick Allahu Ackbar in the end zone, the refs called unsportsmanlike conduct.
But the way the media has gone berserk over it, you’d think that the refs intentionally penalized Abdullah because they are Islamaphobes or something. Some on social media are even decrying a double standard because Tebow was never penalized.
So due to the outcry the NFL has made it official now and tweeted that Husain Abdullah should not have been penalized:
Abdullah should not have been penalized. Officiating mechanic is not to flag player who goes to ground for religious reasons.
— Michael Signora (@NFLfootballinfo) September 30, 2014
I don’t necessarily disagree with the top ref, but I do think it’s amazing that this story has gotten so much traction in the media today. It was a mistake by the refs and not an intentional one.