Footballer Neymar’s Cross Pendant Sparks Outrage Among Saudi Clerics

Brazilian soccer player Neymar found himself at the center of a heated controversy after wearing a diamond-studded cross pendant upon his arrival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to mark his signing with the Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club. Although the event was a significant milestone for both Neymar and Saudi Arabia's sports sector, which has been actively recruiting global talents like Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, the focus quickly shifted to Neymar's choice of accessory. Many Islamic clerics and scholars took offense at the pendant, viewing it as a disrespectful gesture in a region considered the birthplace of Islam. Moroccan cleric Abdellah Nhari lambasted Neymar in a video, criticizing him for bearing "the trinity emblem on the land of monotheism," while Algerian cleric Moussa Azzouni denounced Neymar for wearing a cross pendant in "the land of the two holy Mosques" and urged Algerians to condemn Neymar's actions and instead consider the mujahideen and martyrs as role models. The incident sparked a flurry of debates on social media, with some users deeming the pendant disrespectful and offensive, while others accused the critics of hindering Saudi Arabia's progress in sports. Yasser Al-Qahtani, the retired captain of the Saudi national football team, defended Neymar on Twitter, accusing his critics of fostering discord and being "oblivious" to the true teachings of Islam, which he described as a religion of "tolerance and peace." Al-Qahtani's statements highlighted the broader tensions at play, as Saudi Arabia's efforts to modernize and attract global talent clash with deeply ingrained religious and cultural sensitivities.

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