4B
Friday, March 15. 1996
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Abdul-Rauf's suspension lifted by NBA yesterday
Muslim player will stand up for national anthem
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — The NBA today lifted its suspension of Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf after the Denver Nuggets guard said he was willing to stand and pray during the national anthem.
"Now I recognize there is a better approach," Abdul-Rauf said in an interview with ESPN.
On Tuesday, the NBA suspended him indefinitely for his refusal to stand during The Star-Spangled Banner—an action he said he took because of his Islamic beliefs.
The NBA requires players to stand in a dignified posture while the national anthem is played before games.
"Am I sorry for it? Do I feel I'm wrong for doing what I did? No. This is what I believe. I'm not wrong for the stance I took. In no way am I compromising," Abdul-Rauf told ESPN.
The network did not broadcast the full interview immediately, but
quoted him as saying he would rejoin the team today in Chicago and that he planned to stand on the court and pray while the anthem was played.
After Abdul-Rauf's comments were broadcast, the NBA said in a statement:
"As a showing of courtesy and respect, the NBA has always required that on-court personnel stand while the anthem is played.
"We are pleased that Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf has found a way to reconcile his personal beliefs with this long-recognized custom. Abdul-Rauf's suspension is lifted immediately."
Abdul-Rauf's agent, Keith Glass, said discussions had been under way by his client with the NBA and the players' union to resolve the dispute.
Abul-Rauf's suspension cost him $31,707 for the game he missed Tuesday night.
A devout follower of Islam, Abdul-Rauf said Tuesday that standing for The Star-Spangled Banner clashed with his religious beliefs, contending the Koran forbids nationalistic ritualism.
He also said the flag represented tyranny and oppression.
On Wednesday, the players' union
"I am not wrong for the stance I took.In no way
amI
compromising.
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf Denver Nuggets guard
said it would support any efforts Abdul-Rauf might make to challenge the NBA's disciplinary action, including filing a grievance.
Abdul-Rauf could have chosen to go to court to obtain an injunction allowing him to play if a judge was convinced the league's actions violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which forbids an employer from taking punitive action against an employee for his religious beliefs.
NBA spokesman Brian McIntyre said the league did not consider suspending Abdul-Rauf a religious issue.
"It's a simple procedural rule," McIntyre said.
Islamic experts and Abdul-Rauf said that the Koran does not address the issue specifically.
Others blamed the league and players' union for not reaching a compromise.
"I think the union should have stepped in a long time ago and found ways to compromise. This kid has been doing it for 60 games and now all of a sudden, the league wants to suspend him," Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls said.
The dispute is unprecedented for a professional sports league. Players have refused to play on certain holy days, but none has ever been punished for refusing to stand for the national anthem, nor has any player ever taken such a stand.
Muhammad Ali cited his Muslim faith in refusing to serve in the Army in Vietnam and was subsequently banned from boxing.
Track and field athletes John Carlos and Tommie Smith were vilified for raising their fists in a black power salute during the national anthem at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.
from Chris Jackson in 1993, stopped standing for the pregame singing of the national anthem last November. Sometimes he would stay in the locker room, sometimes he sat or stretched in his chair and sometimes he faced away from the flag.
Abul-Rauf, who converted to Islam in 1991 and changed his name
The Nuggets notified the league a month ago and the NBA asked the team to solve the problem quietly.
The union said the national anthem rule is not part of the collective bargaining agreement, but it is rather a part of the league's operations manual that is being enforced illegitimately.
The NBA suspended Abdul-Raui after he stated his beliefs in front of television cameras Tuesday morning at practice.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations also is sympathetic to Abdul-Rauf's decision as a matter of religious freedom, said Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Washington-based group.
The council later issued a statement that said it had sought the opinions of Muslim scholars and the majority had agreed that standing out of respect for a nation's national anthem does not constitute an act of
"Generally, I think we would support him in his conviction, whether we agree with his specific interpretation or not," Hooper said.
worship.
"They also agree that there is no direct reference to this issue in Islamic law," the council said.
Hakeem Olajuwon, the star Muslim center for the two-time defending champion Houston Rockets, said the Koran teaches respect for the customs and traditions in whichever country one lives.
"It's tough for me to understand his position, but in general the Muslim teaching is to obey and respect. To be a good Muslim is to be a good citizen," he said.
Nothing in Islamic teachings would bar standing during the national anthem or wearing the U.S. flag, as Olajuwon will do at the Olympics this summer, he said.
"The difference must be distinguished between worship and respect," he said. "Islam orders you to obey and respect, as long as you are not worshiping anything other than God."
Olajuwon said the Koran teaches respect for all people, which is why it's so important that people understand that there is a difference between respect and worship.
"People that worship the flag should also understand that there is a difference," he said. "Islam is a religion of peace. You don't attack. You explain."
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