Khamzat Chimaev raises voice after far-right politician burns Quran in Sweden
Khamzat Chimaev isn't known to voice religious opinions or spread such propaganda in public. However, 'Borz', who's known to be a Sunni Muslim, did not stay quiet as right-wing politician Rasmus Paludan burnt the Quran in Sweden.
Paludan set fire to the Muslim holy book on Saturday in front of Turkey's embassy in Stockholm.
Several Islamic countries like Morocco, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and UAE have strongly condemned the incident and the Swedish government for allowing it to happen. Joining the queue, Chimaev, a Swedish citizen, wrote on Instagram:
"HE IS A TERRORIST FOR US, I AM MUSLIM BUT NEVER BEEN AGAINST ANYBODY'S RELIGION, NEVER DONE WHAT HE DOES TO ANYBODY's RELIGION, WHY YOU LET HIM DO THIS 🇸🇪? 👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼 👎🏼 we all shouldn't keep quiet, you call us brothers so show us some respect"
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson subsequently criticized Paludan's demonstration as a 'deeply disrespectful act'. Kristersson wrote:
"Freedom of expression is a fundamental part of democracy. But what is legal is not necessarily appropriate. Burning books that are holy to many is a deeply disrespectful act. I want to express my sympathy for all Muslims who are offended by what has happened in Stockholm today."
When Khabib Nurmagomedov criticized Khamzat Chimaev for not having muslims around him
Khamzat Chimaev turned into the UFC's new heel after missing weight by 7.5 lbs for the UFC 279 headliner and subsequently flipping off the crowd.
Weighing in on Chimaev's actions, Khabib Nurmagomedov said that 'Borz' needed more good Muslims near him who could hold him accountable instead on being surrounded by yes men. The UFC Hall of Famer said:
"If you are a Muslim, you should have good people around you – Muslims who can say: ‘Hey, don’t do this.’"
Catch Nurmagomedov's comments below:
Khamzat Chimaev responded by taking a dig at Nurmagomedov's weight-cutting issues and his multiple cancelations against Tony Ferguson.
Khamzat Chimaev's longtime teammate Reza Madadi also refused to buy into Khabib Nurmagomedov's notions of a Muslim team. Defending 'Borz', the UFC veteran wrote:
"I would like to give my point on your opinion on @khamzat_chimaev not having a muslim team around him and that was supposed to be the reason of him missing the weight. I have to disagree with you on this part. Not only have Khamzat had muslim friends and teammates such as me around him from day 1, but also from many other religions and backgrounds... So mentioning having muslim team will make you perfect, I have to disagree, having a team that cares about you."
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