Religion has reared its controversial head at the FIBA World Basketball Championship in Turkey and The Red Foxes, a professional dance team from the Ukraine, have been ordered to stop performing when the tournament host Turkey takes to the court.
“Are cheerleaders not allowed for Turks?” asked news website Gazeteport on Wednesday. “While our national basketball team wins each of its matches in Ankara, cheerleaders are not allowed due to the possibility that Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and his wife may come to the match.”
Although Turkey is an officially secular nation, it is largely Muslim and Islam prohibits women from exposing their skin in public. A spokesman for FIBA said: “We are aware that no dancers are to perform during any Turkish team game in Ankara. This is not FIBA’s decision and the dancers will continue to perform at other games in Ankara involving other countries.The dancers bring much fun and joy to fans watching games and help to create a vibrant, happy atmosphere in the arenas.”
Muslim Iranian officials also have a beef with the cheerleaders, opting to turn their backs when the dancers performed in earlier games and asking FIBA to make the dancers wear long pants while performing for any of their upcoming games.
After the jump, meet the controversial Red Foxes.
