There is little that Saudi Arabia and Iran agree on, except soccer and religion. Sunni scholars in Saudi Arabia and their Shia counterparts in Iran may be at war over who is a Muslim, but there is one thing they agree on: soccer detracts from religious obligations. The Iranian debate was also being waged three years after Iran and Saudi Arabia played another crucial game day after President Hassan Rouhani was elected into office. Saudi Arabia and Iran: They Agree on One ThingAmbivalence toward soccer among Saudi and Iranian scholars is deep-rooted. There seems little that the two countries and their religious establishment can agree on, which makes the meeting of the minds on soccer all the more remarkable.

Source: The North Africa Journal October 06, 2016 16:18 UTC