NOVANEWS
In the stadium, calling it a ‘disgrace’
Stephen Dodd tweeted a picture of Asif Bodi and Abubakar Bhula worshipping on their knees in a stairwell of Liverpool’s Anfield ground. He added the caption: ‘Muslims praying at half-time at the match yesterday #DISGRACE.’
Mr Dodd’s post, made after Liverpool took on Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup last month, was met with widespread condemnation on social media, with users branding him a ‘bigot’ and ‘disgrace to humanity’. The tweet was reported to police, who investigated but decided no criminal offense had taken place. They have referred the matter back to the club.
Last night, Liverpool promised to take appropriate action against the supporter. It is not known if Mr Dodd is a season ticket holder, but he could have this revoked or be banned from future matches.
Yesterday Mr Bodi, 46, a solicitor from Preston, told the Daily Mail that it was not the first time he had prayed at a match. It was during half-time that we needed to pray,’ the lawyer said. ‘We have a small window in which to pray. That day, the time came for prayer and the window would have closed before the game finished so we did it at half-time.
Muslims are required to pray five times each day – between dawn and sunrise; at midday when the sun passes its highest point; in the late afternoon; just after sunset; and around nightfall.
