A champion wrestler has been condemned for making Islamophobic comments moments after winning his third consecutive title.
Speaking to broadcaster ESPN, Aaron Brooks was asked how much of a factor faith played in his success.
According to The Independent:
The wrestler uplifted his own religion, but in the process denigrated others, including Islam specifically, according to Deadspin.
“It’s everything. Christ resurrections and everything. Not just his life, but his death and resurrection,” Mr Brooks said. “You can only get that through him, it will be spread only through him. No false prophets, no Muhammad nor anyone else. Only Jesus Christ himself.”
The NCAA then signal boosted the wrestler’s comments by sharing the interview on its official Twitter page.
The tweet featuring the interview has since been deleted.
In the wake of the interview, Emgage, an organisation that “educates and mobilises Muslim American voters” released a statement condemning the wrestler’s comments.
“These comments were, in short, unacceptable,” Wa-el Alzayat, the organisation’s CEO, said in a statement. “Such language not only denigrates the worldwide Muslim population, but also is harmful to the many Muslim students, faculty, and staffers at Penn State.”
He went on to state that there “is no need to denigrate one religion in order to uplift another.”
Conservative commenters leapt to the wrestler’s defence, sharing and praising the interview on social media.
Steven Crowder shared the video along with the caption “some people got triggered by this.”