A Muslim football club, Créteil Bébel (Créteil is the association of praticing Muslims in France) has refused to play against a gay football team next Sunday against a club called Paris Foot Gay.
A spokesman for Créteil Bébel said
"Désolé mais par rapport au nom de votre équipe, nous ne pouvons jouer contre vous."
("Sorry, but in relation to the name of your team, we can not play against you")
and
"Nos convictions sont de loin plus importantes qu'un simple match de foot."
("Our convictions are, by far, more important then a football match")
Pascal Brethes, president and co-founder of the club said
"C'est insupportable et intolérable"
Both teams are part of the league organised by Commission Football Loisir (CFL). THe CFL is a signatory to the Charter against Homophobia, and so Créteil Bébel risk sanction or even exclusion from the league. In an interview this morning on France Info, a representative of Créteil Bébel said
"En tant que musulman pratiquant, je n'adhère pas à leurs idées"
("As a practicing Muslim I do not adhere to their ideas").
Pascal Brethes response to this was simply to say
"Il faudrait poser la question dans l'autre sens : que se passerait-il si des équipes refusaient de rencontrer une équipe de musulmans pratiquants ?"
("The question must be posed in the other sense : what would happen if other teams refused to meet a team of practicing Muslims ?")
So I wonder what do people make of this. It's not surprising that a team who's common factor is Islam would not want to play (and possibly lose to) a Gay team. If it is part of their religious beliefs then do they have the right to refuse to play without of santion other then the forfeit?
Or was Pascal Brethes correct when he pointed out that this affair would pose fewer questions if it were the other way around?
What do you think?
A spokesman for Créteil Bébel said
"Désolé mais par rapport au nom de votre équipe, nous ne pouvons jouer contre vous."
("Sorry, but in relation to the name of your team, we can not play against you")
and
"Nos convictions sont de loin plus importantes qu'un simple match de foot."
("Our convictions are, by far, more important then a football match")
Pascal Brethes, president and co-founder of the club said
"C'est insupportable et intolérable"
Both teams are part of the league organised by Commission Football Loisir (CFL). THe CFL is a signatory to the Charter against Homophobia, and so Créteil Bébel risk sanction or even exclusion from the league. In an interview this morning on France Info, a representative of Créteil Bébel said
"En tant que musulman pratiquant, je n'adhère pas à leurs idées"
("As a practicing Muslim I do not adhere to their ideas").
Pascal Brethes response to this was simply to say
"Il faudrait poser la question dans l'autre sens : que se passerait-il si des équipes refusaient de rencontrer une équipe de musulmans pratiquants ?"
("The question must be posed in the other sense : what would happen if other teams refused to meet a team of practicing Muslims ?")
So I wonder what do people make of this. It's not surprising that a team who's common factor is Islam would not want to play (and possibly lose to) a Gay team. If it is part of their religious beliefs then do they have the right to refuse to play without of santion other then the forfeit?
Or was Pascal Brethes correct when he pointed out that this affair would pose fewer questions if it were the other way around?
What do you think?
