12-08-2003, 02:28 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Fellow tournament organizer Sabih Khan said he had worried about the names and had asked the teams to change them.
"It bothers me a little bit," said Khan, 18. But, he added: "They were just trying to be cool." <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This incident indicates the essence of the problem. Even for a seemingly modern and moderate American muslim like Khan to name teams with such names is considered cool. But this is exactly the kind of thing that has been happening in india for a millenium. A good example is Ghaziabad , a town in the suburbs of Delhi. Ghazi , a title that Akbar (the great) was very proud of attaining after he killed his first infidel, means that he is now recognized and honored as a killer of infidels. Ghaziabad indicates that it was once a town where the faithful killed kafirs in abundance. No self respecting country would let such a name survive. So we change Calcutta to Kolkatta ( a mere accentual difference)but let stand Ghaziabad, the town where infidels where once killed in great numbers, for fear that changing the name will rouse the passions of our Muslim brothers. A far better course of action would be that the IM is told in no uncertain terms that the name is deeply offensive to Hindus, and any Muslim should be ashamed of honoring such acts as large scale massacres of women and children.
"It bothers me a little bit," said Khan, 18. But, he added: "They were just trying to be cool." <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This incident indicates the essence of the problem. Even for a seemingly modern and moderate American muslim like Khan to name teams with such names is considered cool. But this is exactly the kind of thing that has been happening in india for a millenium. A good example is Ghaziabad , a town in the suburbs of Delhi. Ghazi , a title that Akbar (the great) was very proud of attaining after he killed his first infidel, means that he is now recognized and honored as a killer of infidels. Ghaziabad indicates that it was once a town where the faithful killed kafirs in abundance. No self respecting country would let such a name survive. So we change Calcutta to Kolkatta ( a mere accentual difference)but let stand Ghaziabad, the town where infidels where once killed in great numbers, for fear that changing the name will rouse the passions of our Muslim brothers. A far better course of action would be that the IM is told in no uncertain terms that the name is deeply offensive to Hindus, and any Muslim should be ashamed of honoring such acts as large scale massacres of women and children.