[GOTFIVEONIT]

The footballs angered residents in Khost



The balls were intended as a gift to Afghan children

Last Updated: Sunday, 26 August 2007, 11:55 GMT 12:55 UK

Anger over 'blasphemous' balls

By Alastair Leithead
BBC News, Kabul

A demonstration has been held in south- east Afghanistan accusing US troops of insulting Islam after they distributed footballs bearing the name of Allah.

The balls showed the Saudi Arabian flag which features the shahada, the Quranic declaration of faith.

The US military said the idea had been to give something for Afghan children to enjoy and they did not realise it would cause offence.

The footballs were dropped from a helicopter in Khost province.

Some displayed flags from countries all over the world, including Saudi Arabia, which features the shahada, one of the five pillars of Islam - the declaration of faith.

The words, which include the name of Allah, are revered, and Muslims are very sensitive about where and how they can be used.

Saudi Arabia has complained to the World Cup's ruling body in the past about the use of its flag on footballs.

Mullahs in Afghanistan criticised the US forces for their insensitivity, and around 100 people held a demonstration in Khost.

Afghan MP Mirwais Yasini said: "To have a verse of the Quran on something you kick with your foot would be an insult in any Muslim country around the world."

A spokeswoman for the US forces in Afghanistan said they made "significant efforts to work with local leaders, mullahs and elders to respect their culture" and distributing the footballs was an effort to give a gift the Afghan children would enjoy.

"Unfortunately," she added, "there was something on those footballs we didn't immediately understand to be offensive and we regret that as we do not want to offend."

[Musashi]

Asallamu 'alaikum wa rahmatulLahi wa barakatuh

Ouch, that's unfortunate! ^^;;

[Songbird]

Further proof of their stupidity.

[ChotooMotoo]

Originally Posted by Songbird

Further proof of their stupidity.

The Americans? Did you need any more proof?

[m_ali_qazi]

so why the eff do you have the shahada on your flag

not only does it represent your hegemony over islam but.......ahh frikkin saudis!

[Variable]

Originally Posted by ChotooMotoo

The Americans? Did you need any more proof?

Unless one was Muslim, that would never cross anyone's mind as offensive. I can definitely see how that one skipped the radar.

[ChotooMotoo]

Originally Posted by Variable

Unless one was Muslim, that would never cross anyone's mind as offensive. I can definitely see how that one skipped the radar.

I was refering to the question itself, not this specific representation of the question. The US military is operating in a Muslim region full of people who are very extreme in their understanding of Islam. It was a huge oversight on their part not to realize that kicking a ball with arabic letering (even if it's in a flag) would cause an uproar. Heck, handing out chocolates to kids would probably cause an uproar too, because someone would make the accusation that there could possible be some haram ingredient in the chocolate.

[A_Muminah]

As-Salaamu 'Alaykum Wa Rahmatullaah,

Its shocking that the US Military has been in Afghanistan since 2001 and they fail to show even basic understanding of their culture and religion. Also, if Saudi Arabia has notified the World's Cup ruling body on not having their flag on soccer balls, why must they still feel the need to?

I saw this on Al-Jazeera and understood what most of what the afghan men were saying. They seemed much more than angry. They said if the US does one more thing against the rulings of Islam, it wont be only the Taliban against the occupation but that they will join the fight as well. If it does happen, I bet you the US will blame it on Taliban propaganda.

Did they not see the reaction of the world from the desecration of Qur'aan and learn from it?

Was-Salaamu 'Alaykum Wa Rahmatullaahi Wa Barakaatuh

[Skinwalker]

Originally Posted by A_Muminah

As-Salaamu 'Alaykum Wa Rahmatullaah,

Its shocking that the US Military has been in Afghanistan since 2001 and they fail to show even basic understanding of their culture and religion. Also, if Saudi Arabia has notified the World's Cup ruling body on not having their flag on soccer balls, why must they still feel the need to?

I saw this on Al-Jazeera and understood what most of what the afghan men were saying. They seemed much more than angry. They said if the US does one more thing against the rulings of Islam, it wont be only the Taliban against the occupation but that they will join the fight as well. If it does happen, I bet you the US will blame it on Taliban propaganda.

Did they not see the reaction of the world from the desecration of Qur'aan and learn from it?

Was-Salaamu 'Alaykum Wa Rahmatullaahi Wa Barakaatuh

Even if the military has been there for so long, you are still dealing with a cultural divide and probably some moron in an office thought this would be 'nice' without realising what it would mean. Nothing unusual about that. The same goes in reverse for people emigrating to more modern countries.