Devout Husain Abdullah, earned his team a 15-yard penalty, but the NFL has criticized the referee’s decision to punish him for praying
An American football star was penalised for “unsportsmanlike conduct” after he celebrated a touchdown by performing a Muslim prayer.
Devout Husain Abdullah, 29, was slapped with a 15-yard penalty when he dropped to his knees to pray after scoring for Kansas City Chiefs in their 41-14 win over New England Patriots on Monday.
Under National Football League (NFL) rules, players are banned from celebrating or demonstrating while on the ground, but exceptions are made for religious prayers.
However, the NFL said the referee made the wrong judgement.
Muslim NFL player penalised for prayer
Punished: Muslim NFL star Husain Abdullah was penalised for praying
NFL spokesman Michael Signora told ESPN: “The officiating mechanic in this situation is not to flag a player who goes to the ground as part of religious expression, and as a result, there should have been no penalty on the play.”
The penalty sparked a social media frenzy among American football fans, who said Christian players have been allowed to pray in similar situations.
Abdullah took to Twitter to thanked fans for their support.
In 2012, Abdullah, along with brother and fellow NFL star Hamza, was absent throughout the 2012 season while on a pilgrimage to Mecca.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/nfl-star-husain-abdullah-penalised-4357665#ixzz3FaI3TLwj
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