Should Muslims support fellow Muslim sportsmen/sports teams?

[KingKhanWC]

With the hype of Khabib v McGregor, there are lot of posts on social media where Muslims from the world are fiercely backing Khabib to defeat McGregor, simply because he's a Muslim.

Some say Conor was insulting towards their faith and others says Khabib is a good practicing Muslim so we want him to win even though they have little interest in the sport itself or combat sports in general.

For me, NEVER will I support a person or team because they share the same beliefs as me. I have great respect for both athletes because they are literally putting their lives on the line and are elite athletes who work very hard and show courage to achieve what they have.

I will be rooting for Khabib because I enjoy the way he fights, nothing else. I wont support Bangladesh or Afghanistan when playing Aus,SL or NZ because they are Muslim teams. If anything I support those playing these teams.

The same question is for Hindus, Christians or other religions. ??

 

[shaz619]

I agree with you and we're both the same in that regard we will appreciate the elite sportsman regardless, whatever is said I take it with a pinch of salt, even Ali has been criticised at times for his approach but he stated it was to promote the fight and in the cases of other fights getting into the head of their opponent.

It's combat but people don't understand that you won't win by being angry or emotional, you're at your best when relaxed and calm or in touch with your mental / physical preparation. Casual fans will look at it from casual perspectives I suppose they will turn it a scenario where we are reliving the battle of badr or something lol I remember before Amir's fight with Salita fans had turned it into a Muslim v Jew thing, Salita was actually a nice bloke though. Whatever is done or said is either to get a psychological advantage / promote the fight, the trash talk don't always pay off though.

Tyson use to brutally knock out his opponents but he also played up his perception of being so feared, the guy use to walk to the ring in 80s with no entrance music but just chains clanging together, poor Spinks lmao

 

[shaz619]

Yeah I don't support Bangladesh, had a soft spot for Afghanistan having watched a documentary on their team produced by the BBC a few years ago. But their fans are so hostile towards Pakistan that I don't like them anymore, their players probably are not too bad though. From a cricketing POV both Bangladesh and Afghan are still hacks at the moment, long long way to go.

I didn't realise Badou Jack was a muslim but it doesn't make me look at him any different, have always appreciated him for his exceptional skill and especially the way he bounced back from being brutally stopped.

 

[TQ89]

No way. I respect skill & hard work above all. Belief won't make a particular person or team good at their sport, their hardwork & attitude will.

 

[shaz619]

Carl Froch is probably the biggest mong in the history of British Boxing and one of Amir's biggest haters and am a big Amir fan, but at the same time that hasn't stopped me from supporting Carl for his Boxing! grew up watching him as a kid and while he'd always struggle against guys who are sound technically he was a warrior, fought home and away, has some great wins to his name and for long periods remained amongst the best at super-middleweight. You look at the resume's of some Brits now and most tend to stay at home, outside a couple of good wins here and there. Carl and Amir may hate each other but both were personified 'world' champions they can truly call themselves that.

 

[shaz619]

No way. I respect skill & hard work above all. Belief won't make a particular person or team good at their sport, their hardwork & attitude will.

Belief can potentially play a key role in ones psyche, I've only come to that conclusion recently because Deontay Wilder stated on a show here in the UK that he has been anointed by God

Interestingly he came from a family of pastors / preachers and one of his major strengths has been his self belief even if it may come across a bit strange at times aha

 

[TQ89]

Belief can potentially play a key role in ones psyche, I've only come to that conclusion recently because Deontay Wilder stated on a show here in the UK that he has been anointed by God

Interestingly he came from a family of pastors / preachers and one of his major strengths has been his self belief even if it may come across a bit strange at times aha

Both fury & wilder seem very funny when they bring god in their debates. I remember back in 2015, fury caused controversy by giving out some very stupid remarks & then saying as Christian, i would never do or say that.

When i was talking about belief, i didn't mean the self-belief. I meant the fan mentality that you have to support an athlete because he is muslim or follows your religion, even though you know nothing about his career. Here in KSA, all the casual MMA fans are excited about connor vs khabib & when i ask them what they know about khabib, 95% only know that he got the belt this year & the feud with connor (The bus fight/his recent drink offering). They have no knowledge of his career before that. It is this line of thinking that I do not agree with.

 

[Swashbuckler]

Hindu here but I identify myself mostly as Tamil first, being a Tamil speaker is my dominant trait. I will never support only because of religion or language. For most of their cricket history Sri Lanka had more Tamil cricketers than India eg Dias, Murali (Tamil Hindu and Chennai's son in law), Arnold, Angelo Mathews etc. I never favoured them against other teams because they have caused so much heartbreak for India. Similarly guys like Chanderpaul, Kanhai, Kallicharan, Narine, Maharaj and many other Hindu cricketers. I am neutral when Hindus/Tamils are playing others. If I support them it is because of their skills and/or charisma. Likewise in other sports.

But I totally understand why Muslims may get behind Khabib. He is maybe the first high profile Muslim MMA fighter, famous, well mannered, high quality, up against a person marketed as disrespectful of other religions/cultures. Most of them are casual viewers and may not understand the marketing tactics. Obviously an average Muslim will back the Russian.

 

[shaz619]

Both fury & wilder seem very funny when they bring god in their debates. I remember back in 2015, fury caused controversy by giving out some very stupid remarks & then saying as Christian, i would never do or say that.

When i was talking about belief, i didn't mean the self-belief. I meant the fan mentality that you have to support an athlete because he is muslim or follows your religion, even though you know nothing about his career. Here in KSA, all the casual MMA fans are excited about connor vs khabib & when i ask them what they know about khabib, 95% only know that he got the belt this year & the feud with connor (The bus fight/his recent drink offering). They have no knowledge of his career before that. It is this line of thinking that I do not agree with.

They are both fairly religious fellas.

I agree with you bro share the same view, this is one of the reasons why we see all these antics because those casual fans respond to such stuff and it generates huge PPV buys.

 

[shaz619]

Mary Kom am not sure what religion she is but a fighter from India and I have so much admiration for her background and elite skill amongst females at the amateur level, many of us who are passionate about these sports don't even pay attention to these things. I also didn't know that MVP in WWE use to be a Muslim !!

 

[Itachi]

I see people changing their preferences.

Different threads, different opinion from the same people.

 

[KingKhanWC]

I agree with you and we're both the same in that regard we will appreciate the elite sportsman regardless, whatever is said I take it with a pinch of salt, even Ali has been criticised at times for his approach but he stated it was to promote the fight and in the cases of other fights getting into the head of their opponent.

It's combat but people don't understand that you won't win by being angry or emotional, you're at your best when relaxed and calm or in touch with your mental / physical preparation. Casual fans will look at it from casual perspectives I suppose they will turn it a scenario where we are reliving the battle of badr or something lol I remember before Amir's fight with Salita fans had turned it into a Muslim v Jew thing, Salita was actually a nice bloke though. Whatever is done or said is either to get a psychological advantage / promote the fight, the trash talk don't always pay off though.

Tyson use to brutally knock out his opponents but he also played up his perception of being so feared, the guy use to walk to the ring in 80s with no entrance music but just chains clanging together, poor Spinks lmao

Its just nothing more than a casual mentality for those who look for an identity to make themselves feel a part of something. What they have no clue of is in combat sports it takes a lot of dedication, sweat and guts to perform at an elite level. If you understand the game, you appreciate the athlete regardless of who is he. What they also fail to realise is fighters will use anything to promote the fight. Khabib isnt thinking of winning this for the Ummah but for himself, his family, his real fans and his bank balance going forward.

I will support those fighters who are British, as it's only right to support your countrymen because they are representing the country and no fighter represents their faith. Ali may be unique to this but their is historical context regarding apartheid, where a new black Muslim group was formed to initially fight against this. When Ali fought Terrell he taunted him to say his name while beating him up because he would call him Clay only before the fight but even this was more of beating out respect than anything else.

 

[The Viper]

Not really. Support is based on skill and personality.

 

[Pakistanian]

Only the ones that I connect with and feel that we share a brotherhood with.

 

[Pakistanian]

I'm rooting for Khabib not necessarily cause of religion but because I've always admired the brave people of the caucasus such as Chechens and Dagestanis, they're a very unique people with a warrior heritage and Khabib embodies that, Khabib's devotion to his faith and his humbleness are rare qualities in a UFC fighter.

 

[blackanhyellow]

Nothing wrong with being fans of celebrities because they have Pakistani heritage or even if their just Muslim.

Muslims dont have a lot of positive representation on the international stage. We are often represented as violent terrorists and extremists.

Muslims therefore cling on to any form of positive representation whether its in sports (Khabib, Amir Khan, Muhammad Ali, Mo Salah, etc...) or cinema (riz ahmed, Kumail Nanjiani, etc...) or music (Zayn, Lupe Fiasco, etc...).

Representation matters, otherwise young kids dont have anyone that looks like them, or comes from a similar background as them in positions of power or in the public stage. This is not a good thing, as then it may limit young people's ambitions as they might feel people like them are not supposed to be in certain professions.

 

[PakLFC]

The simple answer depends on the opinions of that Muslim sports person. Firstly let it be made clear that I never support any Indian Muslim from Abdul Kalam to Shahrukh Khan even if they make pro-Pak statements. I have one rule for Indian Muslim's and another for all others. It gave me no satisfaction seeing Azharudddin scoring a century or Zaheer Khan taking wickets even against teams other then Pak. I always want Sania Mirza to lose badly as well.

As for non-Indian Muslim's of the world it depends on their stance towards Pakistan and it's people. Generally I will support them if they don't make any anti Pakistani statements and are good role models like Muhammad Salah. Then there were the likes of Naseem Hamed wearing his Arabism on his sleeve continuously distancing himself from Pakistanis. There are many others like him particularly Arab's with a similar attitude thinking they're special due to their cultural or racial make up. These kind I never support at all.

 

[kingusama92]

Not really.

I could care less about their religious beliefs.

I've never sat around cheering for Moeen Ali, Hashim Amla, Abdul Rashid, Usman Khawaja, or Zaheer Khan. Even in the McGregor-Khabib fight, I was pretty much neutral while watching. Just wanted a good fight.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

I always do. One always tried to find something they identify with when supporting an individiual/team. If an athlete is a brother in faith I generally support him.

In team sports I will go for UK/Pak teams and then Muslim teams.

Why not? I share a value system with them and for that reason have an emotional tie with them.

Anybody who is neutral in Khabib V Mcgregor needs their head examined. The disrespectful behaviour of offering alcohol etc could have crept into the mainstream had Mcgreggor won so thankfully Khabib knocked him and his whole team out. Hopefully people will think twice before trying something like that.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

The simple answer depends on the opinions of that Muslim sports person. Firstly let it be made clear that I never support any Indian Muslim from Abdul Kalam to Shahrukh Khan even if they make pro-Pak statements. I have one rule for Indian Muslim's and another for all others. It gave me no satisfaction seeing Azharudddin scoring a century or Zaheer Khan taking wickets even against teams other then Pak. I always want Sania Mirza to lose badly as well.

Agreed 100%. My good wishes dont extend towards Indian Muslims.

 

[nextover666666]

No you don't have to you can cheer for every you like or feel close too, but me since I was a kid I always cheered for the Muslim team or player it's always been natural for me. My first Fifa World Cup cup was 2002 and turkey was the team I cheered for , they were Muslim and their flag is similar too Pakistans as well. In any World Cup or sporting event I'll cheer for the Muslims. Even in cricket in Bangladesh of Afghanistan are playing I'll cheer for them too. In fact my fav ice hockey player is Nazem Kadri who was the first Muslim ( drafted the highest and superstar potential) I became a fan of instantly. At the end of the day your not obligated to do so it's what ever feels right for you

 

[thelandofthebravepeople]

Religion is not enough. Depends on other stuff as well. I supported Khabib because I liked his personality, but I was not expecting the way he reacted after the game. Still one can only take a limited number of abuse and humiliation.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

I support Khabib because of his religion, I suspect most others do as well despite their claims on this thread. That doesn't mean I don't like non-Muslim fighters though, my favourite of all time is Anderson Silva, religion is not really a factor in sport, but yes I have this ummah mentality which annoys a lot of non-Muslims/lapsed Pakistanis on this site, so apologies for that.

 

[Bilal7]

There is no "should" or "should not" here. People are free to support who they want.

I support Muslim atheletes and/or teams just like I support Muslims in any other field. We are an Ummah after all, a family and you want your family to do well in this life and the next.

 

[Bilal7]

Agreed 100%. My good wishes dont extend towards Indian Muslims.

Indian Muslims make it very hard for them to be supported by other Muslims with Pakistani ethnicity, lol. However, I still want to see the day where India plays a Muslim-majority cricket team.

It will go some ways towards making some fanatics realize that Islam is as much a part of India as Hinduism is.

 

[Swashbuckler]

What will Muslims do when it is country vs religion? If a Pakistani Christian sets up a World Championship Title clash against a foreign Muslim (excluding India to make matters simple) where will the allegiance lie?

 

[DeadlyVenom]

What will Muslims do when it is country vs religion? If a Pakistani Christian sets up a World Championship Title clash against a foreign Muslim (excluding India to make matters simple) where will the allegiance lie?

There are numerous factors...religion isnt the sole one.

Id support the Pakistani in this case.

For me the factors are country of birth, country of heritage and religion but then also personal views on the athlete.

In the case of Khabib it was Conor who used the religion as bait thats why im glad he got pummelled.

People should be free to support whoever they want. In recent times England have criticized particularly UK born indians for not supporting them in cricket.

People have a variety of reasons for their support we cant force who they choose and ultimately its upto them what criteria they use.

 

[Bilal7]

What will Muslims do when it is country vs religion? If a Pakistani Christian sets up a World Championship Title clash against a foreign Muslim (excluding India to make matters simple) where will the allegiance lie?

I would easily support an Indian Muslim over a Christian Pakistani but then again my ties to Pakistan are not as strong as those of some other people here. Pakistan being 99% Muslim makes things easy.

 

[Pakistanian]

What will Muslims do when it is country vs religion? If a Pakistani Christian sets up a World Championship Title clash against a foreign Muslim (excluding India to make matters simple) where will the allegiance lie?

Pakistani Christian over Indian Muslim anyday.

I'm pretty sure most Pakistanis were rooting for Mohammad Yousuf (formerly Youhana) against Irfan Pathan even before he converted.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

What will Muslims do when it is country vs religion? If a Pakistani Christian sets up a World Championship Title clash against a foreign Muslim (excluding India to make matters simple) where will the allegiance lie?

I am not really a Pakistani so would not really have that much connection to the Pakistani Christian, but even so it's not that clear cut. It depends a lot on the sportsman as well, it might be a case I prefer the Christian's style or talent more than the Muslim. You can't just like someone by default. Messi isn't a Muslim but I would want him in my football team over Mo Salah.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Spence hopes to inspire as first Muslim England player

Djed Spence hopes to inspire future generations if he becomes the first Muslim player to represent the senior England men's team.

The Tottenham full-back, who has six caps for England Under-21s, has been included in the senior squad for the first time for World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia.

It marks a turnaround in fortunes for the former Middlesbrough player, who was sent out on loan three times by Spurs - to Rennes, Leeds and Genoa - before establishing himself in the first team last season.

Although the Football Association does not keep a record of a player's religion, it is understood Spence could become the first Muslim man to play for the England team.

"It's a blessing - it's just amazing. I don't have the words really," said the 25-year-old.

"I pray a lot, I give gratitude to God. In the toughest moments of my life, the darkest moments, I've always believed that God has always been by my side. It's a big thing for me, my faith."

England play Andorra at Villa Park on Saturday, before travelling to face Serbia in Belgrade on Tuesday.

Spence says he does not feel any additional weight on his shoulders because of his religion but hopes his story can lift others.

"I don't really feel the pressure for certain things. I just play football with a smile on my face, be happy, and the rest will take care of yourself," he added.

"If I can do it, you can do it. Not just Muslim kids, any child of any faith. Put your mind to

How did Spence earn his call-up?

Before 15 December last year, Spence had played just 64 minutes of Premier League football in the 2024-25 season.

After that date, he completed 90 minutes in 19 of Spurs' subsequent 22 league games.

The transformation was stark. Spence was so far down then Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou's pecking order he was not even included in the squad for the Europa League group stage.

He only came in for the knockout stage but played 180 minutes of the last-16 win against AZ Alkmaar.

He was then introduced as a substitute as Spurs beat Manchester United in the final for their first major trophy in 17 years, qualifying for the Champions League in the process.

Such was his progress last season, there was talk of Spence featuring in Thomas Tuchel's first England squad last March.

Spence missed out, with Arsenal teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly called up as the new left-back face instead, despite the Spurs man making more Premier League tackles, interceptions, clearances, blocks and defensive headers at that point in the campaign.

But Spence stayed in the picture, and after playing every minute for Spurs in the new Premier League season to date he has got his call-up to the senior squad.

"It's definitely a big deal to play for England, 100%," Spence said.

"The manager has made me feel comfortable, everyone here has made me comfortable. Also I've played at under-21s, so I know a bit more. But senior level, I haven't done it before. The boys have made me feel welcome and taken me in."

He was given his England Under-21 debut by Lee Carsley in March 2022 against Albania.

Carsley wanted to take Spence to the European Under-21 Championship in 2023, where England triumphed by beating Spain in the final, but injury ruled the defender out of the tournament.

To Carsley, Spence's rise to prominence is no surprise.

"I love Djed. I think he's such a good player," Carsley told BBC Sport earlier this year. "So exciting, so attacking, athletic, a quiet guy but humble.

"He's got so many attributes, the way he can drive and dribble with the ball, score, create, defend. He's a player that there's no ceiling where he could go."

BBC

 

[baggy blue]

read posts from paksitani muslims and i am surprised. you guys are opposite of indian muslims. if there is a match between india and pakistan they support pakistan. any muslim anywhere in the world playing any random sport they support the muslim player. Believe it or not in India they support only muslim actors and root for them and mock hindu actors whenever they get a chance.
you guys dont believe me, check any social media platform.

 

[sweep_shot]

I tend to support Muslim teams and Muslim players.

Hashim Amla is one of my favorite players.

 

[JaDed]

I am not really a Pakistani so would not really have that much connection to the Pakistani Christian, but even so it's not that clear cut. It depends a lot on the sportsman as well, it might be a case I prefer the Christian's style or talent more than the Muslim. You can't just like someone by default. Messi isn't a Muslim but I would want him in my football team over Mo Salah.

The difference has to be so huge for you to want someone non-Muslim in your team? Or it was just an example

 

[Champ_Pal]

Pakistani Christian over Indian Muslim anyday.

I'm pretty sure most Pakistanis were rooting for Mohammad Yousuf (formerly Youhana) against Irfan Pathan even before he converted.

Cricket is a team sport. If YuYo fails, then the rest of Muslim players in the Pak team will also be effected. It will be a loss for everyone.

Not sure how things will be if it is an individual sport.

 

[Champ_Pal]

Growing up in 90's, some of my Muslim classmates used to support Pakistan when India was not playing. Muslims have that kind of attachment.
I never saw a Hindu or a Christian supporting a foreign Hindu/Christian player because of their religion. This is what separates Muslims from other people following other religions. In India, there is a lot of caste based support.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

The difference has to be so huge for you to want someone non-Muslim in your team? Or it was just an example

That was just an example to make a point. I would prefer a non-Muslim who was better regardless, even if it was just by 5%. Competitive sport doesn't care about faith. You are either a good player or you aren't.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Growing up in 90's, some of my Muslim classmates used to support Pakistan when India was not playing. Muslims have that kind of attachment.
I never saw a Hindu or a Christian supporting a foreign Hindu/Christian player because of their religion. This is what separates Muslims from other people following other religions. In India, there is a lot of caste based support.

This is slightly different. They may feel more attachment to Pakistan because they feel aliented in Hindustan. Would be even more the case now where hindutva is now the dominant political culture in the country.

 

[JaDed]

This is slightly different. They may feel more attachment to Pakistan because they feel aliented in Hindustan. Would be even more the case now where hindutva is now the dominant political culture in the country.

Tamil Nadu Muslims rarely had to face any discrimination from locals, the Tamizh Muslims who couldn't even speak a word of Urdu and some of my very close friends did support Pakistan(very good people though, nature wise), the Crescent and star can have that affect as well, not to forget PCT was very dominant and the idea of Indian nationalism was pretty lose in 1990's and got a big boost thanks to TV,Media,Internet.

Things have changed now a lot esp after guys like Irfan Zaheer Siraj etc etc became household names and ICT is more dominant not to forget IPL clubs being more dominant among teenagers than even INTL cricket.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Tamil Nadu Muslims rarely had to face any discrimination from locals, the Tamizh Muslims who couldn't even speak a word of Urdu and some of my very close friends did support Pakistan(very good people though, nature wise), the Crescent and star can have that affect as well, not to forget PCT was very dominant and the idea of Indian nationalism was pretty lose in 1990's and got a big boost thanks to TV,Media,Internet.

Things have changed now a lot esp after guys like Irfan Zaheer Siraj etc etc became household names and ICT is more dominant not to forget IPL clubs being more dominant among teenagers than even INTL cricket.

I think if the support for Pakistan is based on love of Islam rather than hatred of your home country then it is ok. There might be no conflict then.

 

[Champ_Pal]

This is slightly different. They may feel more attachment to Pakistan because they feel aliented in Hindustan. Would be even more the case now where hindutva is now the dominant political culture in the country.

They would have supported Afghanistan or Bangladesh, but BD were minnows and Afg was not a cricketing nation at that time. Pakistan was a top team in 90's.

 

[JaDed]

I think if the support for Pakistan is based on love of Islam rather than hatred of your home country then it is ok. There might be no conflict then.

Yes, but it will be a trigger in south Asia esp for non-South Indians.

Even in Europe you will see issues like Morocco -Belgium.. not all fractions of society have the deeper understanding and are triggered by this.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

They would have supported Afghanistan or Bangladesh, but BD were minnows and Afg was not a cricketing nation at that time. Pakistan was a top team in 90's.

Pakistan had a lot of international followers across the globe, they were ahead of the game back then.

Yes, but it will be a trigger in south Asia esp for non-South Indians.

Even in Europe you will see issues like Morocco -Belgium.. not all fractions of society have the deeper understanding and are triggered by this.

Everything is a trigger in that part of the world. It can't be helped, they will just have to grow out of it. Or maybe the rest of the world will need to grow into it and we see global Balkanisation as a trend.