Inspiring Story Of A Revert NBA Player Who's Against Flag Salutation

The 12th March 1996 was as if a dark history in the career of Chris Wayne Jackson as a professional basketball player. On that date nearly fifteen years ago, Jackson got banned from playing in the National Basketball Association (NBA) matches. The penalty were given to Jackson because he was not willing to stand up when the national anthem of America, The Star Spangled Banner, was played just before the game started. He was playing for the Denver Nuggets at that time.

Jackson believed that it (standing up – ed.) was not a right thing to do, because according to him the United States flag is a symbol of oppression. He also said that the United States itself has a long history of tyranny and not in accordance with his faith as a Muslim.

Right away, Jackson's action which was considered controversial, drew protests from the public of the Country of Uncle Sam, which resulted in the ban from NBA matches. But the suspension lasted only one game. Two days later the ban was lifted. The NBA made a deal with the Afro-American basketball player. In accordance with the contents of the agreement, Jackson should still be standing when the national anthem was played, but he was allowed to bow his head and close his eyes. Abdul-Rauf said that at such times he prayed the do'a.

In an opportunity thirteen years later while giving a lecture in a masjid in Gulfport, Mississippi, Jackson emphatically revealed that such an attitude of his was an articulation from the religion that he professed in his daily life. ''I made use of the controversy as a tool to explain to others about my religion,'' he said.

Chris Wayne Jackson was born in Gulfport on 9th March 1969. He was an NBA basketball player in the 90's. In the past, Jackson was one of the most excellent point guards. He was born and raised in a family of Christian believers. He changed his name to Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf when he changed religion and embraced Islam in 1991.

"I had a lot of questions with my Christian background while growing up,'' Abdul-Rauf said. "I felt like I was being someone I wasn't meant to be.''

Before starting out in the NBA, Jackson played for the basketball team where he studied i.e. Louisiana State University (LSU). Jackson had a brilliant basketball career with this university basketball team. It was this that later drove the Denver Nuggets, one of the professional basketball teams in the NBA, to recruit him in 1990. Since then, his career as a professional basketball player began.

Abdul-Rauf could be regarded as the best player in this basketball club which is based in Denver, Colorado. He played for the Denver Nuggets team until the match season of 1995-1996. During the match season of 1992-1993, Abdul-Rauf won the title “The Most Improved Player Award”, an award given to the player who is considered as having shown better performance than the previous seasons. When playing for the Denver Nuggets, he had also topped the NBA spot in the category of 'the best percentage of free-throws in one season', for the year 1994 and 1996. He was having his best season in 1995-96, averaging 19.2 points and 6.8 assists per game, when his career changed forever after he stopped standing for the national anthem, saying it conflicted with his Muslim beliefs.

Although the ban to play in the NBA matches was finally revoked and replaced with a ban on playing in just one game, but no doubt he later became the most hated player in America. His basketball career in America was threatened. Evidently, not long after the American national anthem controversy, the Denver Nuggets terminated its contract with Abdul-Rauf. But Abdul Rauf was unmoved with that of his conviction and habit.

Leaving the NBA

After no longer playing for the Nuggets, he played for another NBA basketball team, the Sacramento Kings, before finally leaving the professional basketball competition in America for good. He played for Sacramento for only two seasons (1996 to 1998).

After leaving the NBA arena of competitions, Abdul-Rauf globe-trotted from one basketball club to another basketball club. He had played for a basketball club from Turkey, Fenerbahce, for one season(1998-1999). After that, he was absent from playing for one season, then he was playing basketball again with the Vancouver Grizzlies, a basketball club from Canada for one season 2000-2001. After his contract with the Vancouver Grizzlies was not renewed, he chose to pause from the basketball arena for two seasons (2001-2003).

In 2003, Abdul-Rauf got a contract with the Russian basketball team, the Ural Great Perm, for one season. After that, he then consecutively played for a basketball club from Italy, Sedima Roseto (2004-2005); the Greek basketball club, Aris Thessaloniki (2006-2007); the Saudi Arabian basketball club, Al-Ittihad (2008-2009); and the Japanese basketball club, Kyoto Hannaryz (2009-2010). Being abroad seems to suit him just fine.

"I feel like I could live anywhere, not necessarily in the States,'' Abdul-Rauf said. "I'm the type of person who could pick up his bags and go live anywhere and I'm not going to miss anything.''

His decision to leave the NBA basketball competition had brought major changes in the person of Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. Slowly, he began to dabble in the activity of da'wah. He built a masjid in his hometown in Gulfport, Mississippi. In fact, he even became the imam of that masjid.

Abdul-Rauf hoped that the existence of the masjid would bring positive impacts on the younger generation in Gulfport which was known to be close to drugs and crimes. Thus, he often held events involving young people in Gulfport. ''Knowledge can make a slave becomes king,'' that is the advice often given by Abdul-Rauf to the Muslim youths in his neighbourhood.

In his every lecture, he also advised the young Muslim generation to uphold Islam wherever they are and seek knowledge as much as they can. ''We always look at education as a preparation for seeking employment for the sake of financial security. But we forget the main purpose of education which should be a provision for a person to survive in life,'' he said.

He compared Islam to the Western education which is based on secularism, separating the state from religion. According to him, education in Islam should cover all aspects of life. ''The Muslims cannot afford to put away his religion into the closet,'' Abdul-Rauf said.

Abdul-Rauf also described the results of studies conducted by some professors in the Harvard University and Yale University. The result of the study showed that African children have the talent of comprehending lessons faster. ''History proves that the African people and the Muslim were the inventors of the modern disciplines like algebra and many other sciences.'' he said.

[muslimdaily.net/rpk]