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.
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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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