THE football bonanza that is Euro 2024 kicked off early this morning, with many Malaysians tuning into the action (Scotland got hammered 5-1 by host Germany by the way).
The fervent following among locals for European teams, in particular club sides, is evident from the number of jerseys seen on display everywhere, from pasar malams to discotheques. But a video counselling the appropriateness of some jerseys, especially for Muslims entering mosques, has brought this form of fandom into sharp focus.
X (formerly Twitter) user amighul deghaman (@ricxxxkiddo) shared a video pointing out that a number of football jerseys have a cross in their emblem and are thus inappropriate for Muslims to don.
Aside from popular club sides like AC Milan and Barcelona, a number of national sides also prominently feature the cross, reflecting the culture and heritage of those European sides. This includes England and its Cross of St George.
Muslim fans of Cristiano Ronaldo might also want to think twice before pulling on CR’s national jersey as the Portugal FA’s emblem also prominently features a cross.
The video which was originally posted on TikTok by @masjidbspofficial stated that while it was fine to support these teams, there was no necessity to wear the colours. It said shouting in front of the TV should suffice.
The post by Amighul Deghaman has generated 556.3k views at the time of writing and elicited many comments, which is no surprise given that everyone is in the football mood.
Here is a sample of the comments.
The poster also shared an image of the club sides with the cross in their logos, as well as pointing out the Portugal emblem.
Another netizen pointed out that restrictions extended beyond football jerseys.
Given the popularity of a certain Old Trafford outfit among Malaysians, the question was posed about the appropriateness of wearing ‘Red Devils’ jerseys.
One netizen asked if this was just restricted to prayer times or if the ban was in general.
Extending the discussion, one netizen queried, what about the donation boxes that carried the symbol of the Red Cross?
Another pointed out that the famed automotive marque Alfa Romeo also prominently features a cross on its badge.
Quite a few mentioned that such content was informative and helpful.
Muslim football fans will now have to be mindful of the jerseys they wear, given the sensitivities surrounding the symbol of the cross.
In the meantime, FocusM hopes everyone has a good time following Euro 2024. – June 15, 2024
Main photo credit: BBC
