Debbie Schlussel: NBA Bans Muslim Racist
Hooman Hamzehloui has been banned by both the Orlando Magic and the NBA from all games.
Hamzehloui repeatedly taunted NBA player and Houston Rockets center Dikembe Mutombo with racist slurs, including "monkey."
Hemzehloui is a real estate agent from the Orlando suburb of Windermere and was a season ticket holder for Orlando Magic games. According to the Orlando Sentinel, Hamzehloui claimed
he didn't know "using the word 'monkey' was bad."
Uh-huh. But the word "monkey" is not just a slur against Blacks in English, but throughout the Muslim world. As highlighted by the George Allen incident, "macaca" means monkey and is used as a racial slur against Blacks throughout Muslim North Africa.
Mutombo has forgiven Hamzehloui.
Posted by Debbie on October 31, 2006 10:55 AM to Debbie Schlussel