‘Blasphemous’ balls anger Afghans

Published on August 26th, 2007

A demonstration has been held in south- east Afghanistan accusing US troops of insulting Islam after they distributed footballs bearing the name of Allah.

The footballs were dropped from a helicopter in Khost province.

A spokeswoman for the US forces in Afghanistan said, “Unfortunately, there was something on those footballs we didn’t immediately understand to be offensive and we regret that as we do not want to offend.”

Americans don’t get it, the officer class doesn’t get it and, surely, it looks like our political misleaders will never get it.

After you invade a country, indigenous folks think you bear a responsibility to clean up the mess you made. If you have no understanding whatsoever of the culture of that nation, you ain’t going to be very successful at building a longterm relationship. On trust. On mutual interests.

39 users responded in " ‘Blasphemous’ balls anger Afghans "

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# 1 bobbo said, on August 26th, 2007 at 11:32 am

In this war on terror, you are either for us, or against us.

We now have an excellent diagnostic tool. The ecumenical ball of truth.

We should drop these balls across the given target zones and anyone that is upset over the message delivered is OBVIOUSLY the enemy.

Bomb the shit out of the enemy–or the terrorists win.

What kind of war is this if more innocent civilians than active men in the field aren’t killed?? Lets get with it.

# 2 god said, on August 26th, 2007 at 11:33 am

“The footballs were dropped from a helicopter” – they really love us there, don’t they?

# 3 Jägermeister said, on August 26th, 2007 at 11:46 am

How insensitive!! Now the US forces will have to drop some cartoons leaflets to cheer up the poor offended Talibans.

# 4 hmeyers said, on August 26th, 2007 at 11:52 am

98% of them cannot read. Surely this story is an exaggeration.

# 5 Tytus Suski said, on August 26th, 2007 at 12:02 pm

Of course it had also an Israeli flag to make sure 100% that it will irritate everybody.
My, my.

# 6 moe29 said, on August 26th, 2007 at 12:07 pm

Drop Bombs, not Footballs!

(Jesus doesn’t have a problem with being on bumper stickers, he’s a cool God)

# 7 Elvis Ripley said, on August 26th, 2007 at 12:28 pm

A good tip would be to never do anything in any way related to Islam. People like food, jobs and new buildings. Stick to that.

# 8 Winston Smith said, on August 26th, 2007 at 12:35 pm

Let’s put verses and symbols from the Bible on soccer balls and give them to Christian kids to kick around.

# 9 Jägermeister said, on August 26th, 2007 at 12:37 pm

#8 – Winston Smith

*Two thumbs up*

# 10 Chris said, on August 26th, 2007 at 12:52 pm

If this is their biggest concern then maybe they are doing alright after all.

# 11 ECA said, on August 26th, 2007 at 12:55 pm

Ok,
this is Sooo funny.
that we have all these Muslims in the USA that ran from Iraq, and other nations. WE even wanted to install a few as the Leaders of that nation…
WHO are we talking to about WHAT we CAN do? Even WHAT we shouldnt do?
We even started OUR OWN Muslim TV and radio stations.
WE EVEN KNOW that they dont want the NAME of their GOD displayed…

So, what do we do?
Someone manufactures Soccer balls, probably at $1000 EACH, WITh the name of their Lord on them, and drops them out a chopper…

# 12 RTaylor said, on August 26th, 2007 at 12:59 pm

“So help me God I thought footballs could fly”

# 13 Mike Voice said, on August 26th, 2007 at 1:29 pm

What has happened to me?

I can actually follow the logic of an ECA post [#11], and not only that – but I actually agree with it.

# 14 hhopper said, on August 26th, 2007 at 1:35 pm

RTaylor – You’re right. We would have been better off if they’d dropped turkeys.

# 15 Mike Voice said, on August 26th, 2007 at 1:35 pm

#5 Of course it had also an Israeli flag to make sure 100% that it will irritate everybody.
My, my.

Looks like the idiots running that program need to have people like Tytus as paid consultants.

About as smart as dropping softballs – with pentagrams, 666, and the U.N. flag on them – from helicopters flying over neighborhoods in America’s bible belt…

# 16 Ben Dover said, on August 26th, 2007 at 2:01 pm

Aww poor muslims…

Give us the balls back, and just kick yourselves around.

# 17 Ataru said, on August 26th, 2007 at 2:30 pm

How intelligent those afghans are, such an educated, cultured, liberal and forward thinking nation. Oh sorry, that must have been somewhere else I was thinking of.

# 18 Mark T. said, on August 26th, 2007 at 3:02 pm

Well, at least they didn’t drop American footballs, i.e. “pigskins”.

# 19 GigG said, on August 26th, 2007 at 4:45 pm

“What kind of war is this if more innocent civilians than active men in the field aren’t killed?? ‘

It would be a very unusual one.

# 20 Christ said, on August 26th, 2007 at 8:48 pm

Oh, if only the USA would’ve let the Soviets crush that pig-ant country, Afghanistan. I mean, what did they have to gain? Sand? Goats, camels? Smelly folks? Afghanistan is clearly a violent nation, as they put a friggin’ sword on their flag. If the USA put a B-52 raining bombs on their flag, the planet would freak out. Perhaps Iraq should change their flag to one depicting a car with a burning fuse sticking out of it. France could put a picture of a soldier surrendering on their flag.

What would JESUS do?

# 21 traaxx said, on August 26th, 2007 at 8:58 pm

We have a mess to clean up, but it’s weenie leftist that will keep us from doing it.

The culture in Afghan won’t understand handing out free stuff, free bullets yes, money no. They only understand strong versus weak, that’s why they helped a Islamic Terrorist Organization or do the little Commies now say there was no Al-Qaeda there?

We have no common interest, they want to control everything through Islam and we, and would think especially the suicidal leftist, don’t want them to. One way the left could help would be to stop broadcasting on TV and Movies all the naked and oversexed material the insist on making, but that isn’t going to happen is it.

You should have realized, but aren’t smart enough to, that it’s either convert, become a dehimmi or fight. I guess we know that Eideard will want to be a dehimmi, although since the Muslims believe in killing athiest how is that going to workout.

# 22 Frank IBC said, on August 26th, 2007 at 9:09 pm

It only took 8 comments for the usual “but what about the big bad CHRISTIANS?” non-sequitor, this time.

# 23 RBG said, on August 26th, 2007 at 9:52 pm

I see this as an honest, but stupid mistake.

Imagine tons of soccer balls with whatever flags of the nations stamped all over it. What could be less harmless than distributing those?

Well, when one flag has the name of Allah on it followed by kicking with the offensive unclean foot.

Ouch.

RBG

# 24 RBG said, on August 26th, 2007 at 9:58 pm

Which just reminded me. I once had to write an Arabic project proposal that began with a title page invoking the name of Allah as is often the case for such things. My Arabic adviser and friend made sure every spare or unused page was not simply discarded in the garbage but collected by him and properly disposed. Burning(?) as I recall.

RBG

# 25 Mike Voice said, on August 26th, 2007 at 10:08 pm

21 We have a mess to clean up, but it’s weenie leftist that will keep us from doing it.

And who made the mess that needs cleaning-up? Weenie leftists?

21 We have no common interest…

Yes we do:
“In 2005, the United States and Afghanistan signed a strategic partnership agreement committing both nations to a long-term relationship.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan

Did “weenie leftists” negotiate that treaty?

# 26 Βοανηργες said, on August 26th, 2007 at 10:24 pm

#22 “It only took 8 comments for the usual “but what about the big bad CHRISTIANS?” non-sequitor, this time.”

So it’s OK to insult Muslims but not OK to insult Christians?

Aren’t we Christians special!

# 27 BdgBill said, on August 27th, 2007 at 4:54 am

If they are dropping soccer balls from helicopters over there, I hope they are the “iron soccer balls” from the short lived DU post of last week.

# 28 Frank IBC said, on August 27th, 2007 at 5:09 am

Boanerges -

No, it’s just stupid to bring it up gratuitously and irrelevantly.

# 29 Dauragon88 said, on August 27th, 2007 at 5:13 am

I thought #8 was only implying that its silly to put holy messages on things that you abuse all day with your feet.

maybe I’m just crazy…….

# 30 Greg Allen said, on August 27th, 2007 at 6:14 am

C’mon… this is just a dumb mistake… whether you respect religion or not.

Anyone who’s lived among Muslims for fifteen minutes, would know not to do this. One has to wonder how insulated our military is from the local population.

# 31 Mr. Fusion said, on August 27th, 2007 at 6:31 am

#21, traaxx,

You should have realized, but aren’t smart enough to, that it’s either convert, become a dehimmi or fight.

You have a real penchant for trolling. You’re not too bright either.

# 32 rsyb said, on August 27th, 2007 at 6:36 am

Will have to admit my lack of understanding. When I read the word football I immediately wondered why we would be dropping NFL footballs in Afghanistan.

I suppose it could have been a marketing gimic dreamed up by Roger Goodell. Maybe that is how the commissioner’s name translates in their language!

# 33 Patrick said, on August 27th, 2007 at 9:11 am

I never understood why we decided to occupy after the Taliban were ousted.

We should have just left with a warning that the next time the country’s gov’t decides to host people who attack us we’ll REALLY pave the place over.

# 34 soundwash said, on August 27th, 2007 at 9:17 am

this is just absurd.

i think the only reason the world over bends over backwards for these people is because everyone is afraid they’ll scream jihad at the drop of a pin and rain a thousand body parts down on them.

(theres an oil joke here too, but it escapes
me atm)

i’m sure muslims everywhere laugh there asses off every time they get some major world power to cower in a corner begging for forgiveness because they offended the nation of islam or some such..

pretty sad state of affairs if you ask me.

-s

# 35 Winston Smith said, on August 27th, 2007 at 9:52 am

#29 You may or may not be crazy.

But you are correct in your interpretation of my post at #8. It surprises me that someone would not understand. I guess they teach a revised Golden Rule these days.

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, unless they are Muslim. If they are Muslim the Christian thing to do is to insult and demean them.”

# 36 James Hill said, on August 27th, 2007 at 9:52 am

The humanitarian thing would have been to teach them a real sport. Giving them soccer balls shows them that we want to keep them out of the first world.

(And yes, I’m saying the reason soccer isn’t popular in the United States is because we think we’re better than everyone else.)

# 37 no name given said, on August 27th, 2007 at 2:24 pm

You know, in a way, it all comes down to the same problem. Why can’t the damn muslims stop being such a bunch of tools?

# 38 doug said, on August 27th, 2007 at 4:41 pm

#36. Actually, soccer is a very good game … for kids.

# 39 Mister Mustard said, on August 28th, 2007 at 12:41 am

>>followed by kicking with the offensive unclean foot.

Aw jeez, do they wipe their ass with their FEET? Those people are just savages!

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