Islamists Hate Football?
With two of the most rabid Islamic nations – Iran and Saudi Arabia – playing in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, it might be difficult to believe that Islamists do not approve of football. But if reports from Somalia are to be believed, Somalis will not be able to watch this year’s World Cup. Islamist militia recently emerged victorious in bloody civil war that ended with Mogadishu being controlled by the victors. Although people are relieved that it has at least led to decline in violence, they are disappointed at being not able to watch the World Cup:
Residents of the Somali capital say they are relieved the Islamist victory has led to calm and improved security. But they say the militiamen have been forcing makeshift public cinemas which had been planning to show the football matches to close down.
Residents are angry at apparent moves by the militiamen now patrolling the streets to close down cinemas whose proprietors had arranged to show satellite television pictures of World Cup matches taking place in Germany.
But as the article continues, it seems that the Islamists might not be against football but something else altogether:
Their spokesman, Sheikh Abdulkadir Ali Omar, indicated to the BBC it was the cinemas that were being targeted because they also showed Western and Indian films that the Islamists say are corrupting to the young.
Ah-ha! the usual moral policing over corrupting influences causing by Western films is naturally expected. Now, we are also seeing Indian films being included in the ban list. Well, if you have seen Emraan Hashmi’s movies, you might almost feel they are justified. But of course, we have different reasons; high movie suckiness quotient being one of them.
