Hello everybody out there in OWW World. My name is Ketheach, and I should point out that I actually do work as a journalist and writer, but this is my first venture into the world of wrestling writing. As such make sure you pass comment on what I am saying whether or not you agree with it, and things you think will improve it. Just post it here, or if you feel strongly enough, e-mail me at ketheach@yahoo.co.uk Religion has always been a huge influence in the WWE. It's just not always been obvious. And if you guessed that Mohammed Hassan was going to make an appearance in this column, you're right.

I have to admit that I'm more than a little bit upset at the way that the Mohammed Hassan character has been played out, not because of anything he has particularly said or done, but just the predictability of it all. Hassan is pissed off at America, at the way he has been treated since 9-11 and the way that the WWE is headed. A bit obvious, really. So he uses violence to achieve his goals. Now granted that he is a wrestler, so of course he is going to fight. That's not my problem. My problem is that he is supposedly beating respect and tolerance for his ideas into them, which is one of the main beliefs of Islamofascists. No normal Muslim would believe in beating people into believing into their cause. For instance, the literal translation of Islam is peace. Nor is it the only instance. Despite being billed as from Detroit, he wears a headdress and light white cotton clothing.

While these may be seen as being Islamic, they are actually worn because of climatic conditions in the Middle East, and have nothing to do with Islam (although Islam does have some restrictions on clothing). There is no reason for any Muslim, and especially not one in a cooler climate like Mohammed Hassan, to be wearing it. Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world, with 1.3 billion Muslims worldwide, and almost 9 million Muslims in North America. Now imagine the percentage of Muslims who are involved in Islamofascist groups. You're talking 100,000 at best, which accounts for not even 0.5% of the Muslim world. Now taking that the population of the United States is 290 million, with 77% of them being Christian, and factoring in the growth of militias and Neo-Conservatism from within these groups, who do you think is more of a threat to America right now". And if the WWE is a reflection of society (as they claimed when the Hassan character first appeared) then where are all the white, Christian right-wing nut jobs in the WWE list of characters. Shawn Michaels comes out every week talking about Jesus and God, Jake Roberts did the same, and yet we never see them out bombing abortion clinics or pissing off the other wrestlers by trying to convert them. There are a lot more Christians in America who fall into the extreme category than there are Muslims. Since the WWE reflects society, where the hell are the Christian Fundamentalists" To be quite honest, I would rather keep Christian Fundamentals off television, but if you are going to marginalise one group of people, you really should at least try to present a fair a balanced view.

This is hardly the first time that this has happened. Remember Tiger Ali Singh. The Iron Sheik. If the WWE wants to portray this element of Islam, fine, it's out there after all, but the point is that in twenty years the WWE has never portrayed a normal, rounded, Muslim character. They have never had an Arab character that likes America, which is respectful of other points of view, which present the Islam religion as anything other than sinister. When the WWE create characters like the Jackal, they make it clear that he is a religion onto himself, rather than an offshoot of the evangelical movement in America. When organisations like the RTC where created, not once did they mention Christianity, despite the fact that most of the people that hold these positions in reality do so out of a belief that it is their Christian duty.

Of course it's pointless to try to appeal to the morality of a company like the WWE. There is only one thing that they understand, money. Despite the fact that most of the WWE's creative team couldn't create an interesting character if Shakespeare himself walked in looking for a job, they should at least be looking at ways to get people to look at their product, but more importantly, they should be trying to appeal to as many people as possible. Any company that goes out to offend 9 million potential customers really needs to examine its leadership. And that's a conservative estimate. After all, by the WWE's own admission, they are going to be relying a lot more on overseas trips.

But by many estimates, Islam, the world's fastest growing religion, is going to overtake Christianity in the next 50 years as the largest religion in the world. With the influx of immigration, conversion and large family sizes, Islam is expected to be the main religion of Europe in the next thirty years. It is also growing at a larger rate than all other religions combined in the former Soviet States, it has 30% of the population in the Indian sub-continent, and it is the largest growing religion in North America. All customers that the WWE can kiss goodbye. And that's not even counted the amount of people that are non-Muslim but can't stomach the type of racial stereotyping. How many companies want to be associated with an organisation that is indulging in those sorts of practises". Of course it could be worse. Vince McMahon should be on his knees thanking whatever it is he believes in that he hasn't ended up like Theo Van Gogh.And don't worry about the character Mohammed Hassan. The next attack on America is going to come from the Shawn Michaels's and JBL's of this world.

Islam, as a religion, invented what has become modified as boxing as an acceptable form of entertainment, so they should be predispositioned towards the WWE product. At a time when the WWE needs all the fans it can get,Mohammed Hassan could be a financially destructive mistake.

by Ketheach O'Daillaigh ..