The NFL Doesn’t Know What Non-Christian Prayers Look Like

During a football game Monday night, Kansas City Chiefs safety Husain Abdullah made a 39-yard interception for a touchdown, which led to the team’s 41-14 win over the New England Patriots. But it’s what Abdullah did after making the touchdown that caught everyone’s attention, including the NFL’s.

Abdullah received a 15-yard unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty after making the following gesture:

According to the inept NFL, Abdullah was in violation of celebration rules. Apparently the NFL doesn’t recognize prayer if the player isn’t Tebowing for Jesus. Abdullah was performing sadjah, a prayer practiced by those of the Islamic faith (Abdullah is a devout Muslim).

The NFL may have been unfamiliar with what Abdullah was doing, but those on social media were not:

https://twitter.com/HamzaAbdullah21/status/516961518399655938

Neither was Abdullah’s agent:

If the NFL tries to fine @HAbdullah39 for his TD celebration there's going to be some problems.

— CJ LaBoy (@CJLaBoy) September 30, 2014

The Council on American-Islamic Relations issued a statement Tuesday asking the NFL to amend the penalty: “To prevent the appearance of a double standard, we urge league officials to clarify the policy on prayer and recognize that the official made a mistake in this case,” CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper said.

Abdullah himself was unsure whether he was being fined for the actual prayer or the slide.

“For me, I just got a little too excited,” Abdullah said, according to the Kansas City Star. “I think it was for the slide.”

Well, unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. In typical NFL backpedaling, the organization admitted to its mistake this morning:

Abdullah should not have been penalized. Officiating mechanic is not to flag player who goes to ground for religious reasons.

— Michael Signora (@NFLfootballinfo) September 30, 2014

As much as the NFL has been scrutinized for its response to domestic violence, the league may want to take a refresher course in different types of prayers besides the ones Tim Tebow is known for.