Saudi cleric: forbid Sign of the Cross in soccer competition
May 15, 2017
A Saudi Arabian cleric has called upon the organizers of international soccer competition to bar players from making the Sign of the Cross.
Mohammend Alarefe, an Islamic leader whose Twitter account reaches more than 17 million followers, objected to the fact that many soccer players bless themselves in celebration after scoring a goal.
The prevalence of religious symbols in international soccer competition has become a point of dispute in Islamic countries. This year a leading Spaniard team, Real Madrid, agreed to remove the cross from team merchandise sold in the Middle East.
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