A Muslim scholar from Saudi Arabia has called on FIFA, the international governing body of football, to forbid players from making the religious sign of the cross every time they enter the pitch or score a goal. Mohammed al Arefe urged FIFA to prohibit players from making the sign of the cross on their chest, stomach, shoulder or any part of their body, MailOnline reported.

The Muslim cleric, who has 17.5 million followers on Twitter, posted his plea to FIFA on the social media site. “I’ve seen video clips of athletes, soccer players running, shooting and when they win they make the symbol of the cross on their chests and my question is if FIFA’s rules forbid this,” wrote al Arefe. His post received many reactions from football fans of various religions. Many criticized his proposal and called it divisive. READ MORE

 


Advertisement