Furor erupts in Calif. over team names for Muslim football tournament

IRVINE, Calif. -- The idea was innocent enough: A group of young men organizes a holiday football tournament and give their teams such innocuous names as 4th and Goal and Playmakerz.

It was some of the other team names that raised eyebrows: Intifadah, Soldiers of Allah, and Mujahideen.

The furor that followed has forced some teams to change their names and a handful of players to quit. It also sparked a debate that threatens to overshadow the tournament, which was planned primarily for young Muslims and scheduled for Sunday.

"This was really just supposed to be about the youth playing football. Now it's become so political that a part of me thinks we shouldn't even play," said Tarek Shawky, 29, one of the tournament's organizers.

Those involved in the league said they never set out to upset or offend anyone. But critics say such names as Intifadah and Mujahideen glorify terrorism.

Intifadah, "uprising" in Arabic, is a term used by Palestinians for their revolts against Israeli occupation from 1987 to 1993 and over the past three years. Mujahideen, which means "holy warrior," is associated with several Islamic groups that are on the US list of terrorist organizations.

"The issue is these are words that are linked to real terrorists, real threats, real murders today," said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

"There shouldn't be young Americans chanting the name Mujahideen as American soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq are put in danger and attacked daily," Cooper said. "As for Intifadah, it has been a disaster for the Palestinians and the nearly 1,000 Israeli children and parents murdered by suicide bombers."

Muslim leaders have asked the teams to reconsider the names.

One member of the Intifadah team said a few of his friends were forced to quit because their parents were worried for their safety. "It's kind of annoying me how big it's gotten," said 16-year-old Mohamad, whose family asked his last name be withheld.

Mohamad's mother, Nuha, said she wants her son to play despite the controversy but said her sister is considering withdrawing her own son from the tournament. The uproar began about a month ago after 18-year-old Sabih Khan, who attends community college, began organizing a football tournament for the New Year's holiday weekend. Khan had played football in high school.

"I've been missing it all these years," he said.

Although the league was named "Muslim Football," Khan said it was not limited to Muslims.

He passed out fliers at an Orange County mosque and set up a website inviting teams to register and submit names. Although most submitted names such as "4th and Goal" and "Muslim Football Allstars," three came under fire.

Since then, the tournament's founder has received numerous hate e-mails.

The team names also prompted a war of words in local newspapers and on talk radio.

Khan said he also has asked the teams to change their names. While two teams -- Soldiers of Allah and Mujahideen -- agreed, Intifadah has not.