Moeen Ali and the spraying of champagne

When I saw England spraying champagne everywhere and devout Muslim Moeen Ali running away from the celebrations to avoid being associated with alcohol, I felt sorry for him and was wondering whether the England team, out of respect for Moeen, and in order to have EVERY member of the team involved in the urn presentation, might have refrained from spraying the champagne everywhere?

I enjoy a drink now and then, but in this case I felt there was something not quite right when I saw Moeen fleeing the champagne spraying and standing on the edge of the stage by himself whilst the rest of his teammates celebrated away and didn't seem to notice or care that their principled teammate was standing on the side there by himself.

I wonder if in years to come, English cricket will reflect and regret that a young man was partly excluded from what should be the greatest feeling for an English cricketer because he was standing by his religious beliefs.

there is such a thing as taking religious beliefs too far. most of all if the majority of other people have to change what they do in order to accommodate you

And if he stands with them and cheers, he would likely have a fatwa issued against him by some extreme cleric, and become a target for terrorists.

Ethics? The Gall! wrote:there is such a thing as taking religious beliefs too far.  most of all if the majority of other people have to change what they do in order to accommodate you

Word.

Have you had a few chardonnays Trev? Your posts in this thread are as regressive and egalitarian as 'positive' sexism

Henry wrote:And if he stands with them and cheers, he would likely have a fatwa issued against him by some extreme cleric, and become a target for terrorists.

...don't get me started.

I did like how delighted Ian Ward was to get to interview Moeen because he knew he could use him as a body shield against the English Champagne sprayers

Judging from MAli's overall reactions I don't think he gave a rat's arse.

And FFS don't get BD started Trev ... last time that happened BD
and I exchanged "pleasantries" with the 'distinguished' jizz-slopping PC Monkeh Man.

Hmm, well speaking as a tee-totaller, if I was just involved with some sort of huge celebration and victory, I would feel incredibly awkward if everyone else held back on the spraying of champagne and acted differently. I'd much rather they didn't go out of their way to accommodate my own preferences because at the end of the day it's a choice not to drink or be involved with alcohol, it's not forced upon him. 

You could say as a Muslim he doesn't have a choice but I disagree, he chooses to be a Muslim (which he has every right to of course) but if that means he has to stand at the side a bit whilst everyone else sprays alcohol around that's fair enough.

It did make slightly uncomfortable viewing to have him standing at the side, I respect his beliefs and his right to have them (I'm not a Dawkins type who thinks people should be openly mocked and ridiculed for their beliefs) but I don't think the entire team should change a celebratory tradition just for him and again, I think he would feel uncomfortable if they did change it for him. I certainly would.

Merlin wrote:Judging from MAli's overall reactions I don't think he gave a rat's arse.

And FFS don't get BD started Trev ... last time that happened BD
and I exchanged "pleasantries" with the 'distinguished' jizz-slopping PC Monkeh Man.

I think my Parthian shot was that your bigotry was as vehement and obtuse as the extremists you like to generalise the entire Muslim population with - not worth the typing. Have I yet reneged on that? No.

As the footie anthem rings out ...

'ere we go ... 'ere we go ... 'ere we go ...
'ere we go ... 'ere we go ... 'ere we go-oooo ...

vilkrang wrote:Hmm, well speaking as a tee-totaller, if I was just involved with some sort of huge celebration and victory, I would feel incredibly awkward if everyone else held back on the spraying of champagne and acted differently. I'd much rather they didn't go out of their way to accommodate my own preferences because at the end of the day it's a choice not to drink or be involved with alcohol, it's not forced upon him. 

You could say as a Muslim he doesn't have a choice but I disagree, he chooses to be a Muslim (which he has every right to of course) but if that means he has to stand at the side a bit whilst everyone else sprays alcohol around that's fair enough.

It did make slightly uncomfortable viewing to have him standing at the side, I respect his beliefs and his right to have them (I'm not a Dawkins type who thinks people should be openly mocked and ridiculed for their beliefs) but I don't think the entire team should change a celebratory tradition just for him and again, I think he would feel uncomfortable if they did change it for him. I certainly would.

Yeah, I don't think he's the sort of bloke who wears his religion on his sleeve - he says it's a private thing. Having had an enforced 6-8 week layoff from alcohol last year, I know what it's like going out with people on the piss. It's alright for the first four or five hours, but you wouldn't want to do it all night... the likelihood he'd be going for a meal with the lesser drinkers after initial celebrations.

Brass Monkey wrote:

vilkrang wrote:Hmm, well speaking as a tee-totaller, if I was just involved with some sort of huge celebration and victory, I would feel incredibly awkward if everyone else held back on the spraying of champagne and acted differently. I'd much rather they didn't go out of their way to accommodate my own preferences because at the end of the day it's a choice not to drink or be involved with alcohol, it's not forced upon him. 

You could say as a Muslim he doesn't have a choice but I disagree, he chooses to be a Muslim (which he has every right to of course) but if that means he has to stand at the side a bit whilst everyone else sprays alcohol around that's fair enough.

It did make slightly uncomfortable viewing to have him standing at the side, I respect his beliefs and his right to have them (I'm not a Dawkins type who thinks people should be openly mocked and ridiculed for their beliefs) but I don't think the entire team should change a celebratory tradition just for him and again, I think he would feel uncomfortable if they did change it for him. I certainly would.

Yeah, I don't think he's the sort of bloke who wears his religion on his sleeve - he says it's a private thing. Having had an enforced 6-8 week layoff from alcohol last year, I know what it's like going out with people on the piss. It's alright for the first four or five hours, but you wouldn't want to do it all night... the likelihood he'd be going for a meal with the lesser drinkers after initial celebrations.

So on top of everything else the poor sod is stuck with Cook and Bell as dinner companions.

That would be a perfectly nice dinner. Maybe Giles Clarke would attend. They could talk gardening and shit. Good times, IMO.

Just one view, but ...

as far as I can see, Moeen is grinning as he takes evasive action. He doesn't seem to be recoiling in horror or disgust.

Being a modest, well brought-up chap, he probably just retreated to avoid getting doused in that odd stuff his non-Muslim pals sometimes go mad on. But he seems indulgently amused by their minute of madness, and for all the scarpering from the alien sticky spray, glad to be a full part of the team once they've got it over with.

Or why else is he grinning?

Awkward grin IMO.

PeterCS wrote:Just one view, but ...

as far as I can see, Moeen is grinning as he takes evasive action. He doesn't seem to be recoiling in horror or disgust.

Being a modest, well brought-up chap, he probably just retreated to avoid getting doused in that odd stuff his non-Muslim pals sometimes go mad on. But he seems indulgently amused by their minute of madness, and for all the scarpering from the alien sticky spray, glad to be a full part of the team once they've got it over with.

Or why else is he grinning?

Yes, agreed. Last time someone lobbed some liquid at me, I tried to get out of the way... many people just don't like getting soaked. It's just Trev's racism.

Brass Monkey wrote:That would be a perfectly nice dinner. Maybe Giles Clarke would attend. They could talk gardening and shit. Good times, IMO.

And who's the guest-of-honour, whirlybirding in on his superhero chopper, right into the centre of the lawn? ....

PeterCS wrote:

Brass Monkey wrote:That would be a perfectly nice dinner. Maybe Giles Clarke would attend. They could talk gardening and shit. Good times, IMO.

And who's the guest-of-honour, whirlybirding in on his superhero chopper, right into the centre of the lawn? ....

I think if 'Call me Dave' Cameron could be added somewhere, it'd be jolly nice.

I was thinking more of an old friend of the family. He must be due parole shortly?

I knew who you were on about... but he's f*cked in every way.