Muslim Sporting Icons

a very good article for us to ponder taken from

www.warriors.co.nz/downloads/19/steve-and-hazem

El Mesri will be retiring from the NRL this season, he is one of the most prolific point scorer for the Bulldogs.. I make a point to watch it every time the there is a bulldogs game.. he is truly an inspiration for muslims.

another sporting muslim icon in Malaysia is Nor Saiful Zaini and Azlan Bakar.. both are great malaysian hockey players.. Saiful even rated one of the best forwards in the world and even played in the All Star team. Both of them a my inspirations

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A Great Friendship: Steve Price and Hazem El MasriThe likelihood of a young Muslim boy growing up in Tripoli crossing paths with a kid fromToowoomba in rural Queensland is fairly unlikely. In the case of Bulldogs star Hazem El Masriand the Warriors captain Steve Price, not only did this occur, but a life-long friendship resulted.Steve Price describes Hazem as one of his best mates. Steve says that Hazem opened his eyesto many things, from appreciating the traditional Lebanese food prepared by Hazem’s wife toadmiring Hazem’s commitment to the Muslim faith.Steve’s respect for all people and different cultures canbe traced to his upbringing in Toowoomba. Steve’s mumtaught him to respect everybody in the same way, whetherthey were tall or short, rich or poor, as long as theytreated everyone with respect then they too deserved to berespected.One of Steve’s best mates as a he was growing up wasGreg Suey, an Aboriginal from a large extended family,who was also a talented footballer. Steve remembers thatthey did everything together as kids. Greg’s family gaveSteve an appreciation of Aboriginal culture and allowedhim to realise at a young age that every community andculture is made up of individuals.Steve took these values with him when he went to play forthe Bulldogs where he quickly became a favorite with fansand his team mates. Steve appreciated the multiculturalmix of nationalities, including Greeks, Italians, andLebanese, who are part of the Rugby League supporters’community.The quality that Steve admires most about Hazem is that he lets his actions speak louder thanwords. Steve says that when he first met Hazem he accepted him immediately, on face value andgave him absolute respect from day one. Steve admiresHazem’s dedication to his faith and the immensediscipline he shows at all times. Ramadan falls duringoff-season training and Hazem’s vigilance in terms ofhis fasting and prayer is an example to everyone. Healso does not drink alcohol; this even extends to himnot passing on gifts he might receive in case it appearshe endorses the drinking of alcohol.Hazem’s religious upbringing and his family’s beliefsmolded the person who fans adore as ‘El Magic’.His parents taught him to be well-mannered and tobe respectful towards other people and that he hadto earn the respect of others. Hazem considers itimportant to develop a work ethic that people canrelate to and respect and then hopefully they willrespect your values as well.Hazem believes that ignorance is the cause of mostforms of racism and that his best response is to let hisactions speak for him. He feels that you can’t blamepeople when they act out of ignorance. Instead he tries to lead by example and has found thatslowly people will ask him questions.A good example is during Ramadan in summer when the team trains in 30 degree heat whileHazem is fasting and continuing his observance of praying five times a day. People slowly askquestions which allows him to explain his beliefs and reasons and slowly he has worked atbreaking down barriers.Hazem believes it is important to build trust through everything you do. If you are honest andtrustworthy then people will respect you. He talks about how his religion doesn’t allow him to beracist. He prays that people will unite and not divide.In Hazem Steve knows he has a friend for life – a view that is also shared by his former teammates.It was disappointing for Hazem when Steve moved to the Warriors after captaining theBulldogs. Steve led the team through difficult times and Hazem describes Steve as a true leaderagood communicator who is loyal and trustworthy. Hazem admires Steve’s commitment to hisfamily and says he is a great friend.Steve considers himself very lucky and privileged to have experienced so many diverse culturesthrough his involvement in Rugby League. And of course, there is the bonus of his deepfriendship with his mate Hazem.