As Bulldog fans countdown to the NRL Grand Final, a prominent Muslim community leader has praised the team for bringing much-needed joy to the area in the wake of recent events surrounding Islamic State.
The Canterbury Bulldogs has one of the largest Islamic supporter bases in rugby league; a game itself made up of different races, religions and cultural backgrounds.
Dr Jamal Rifi told SBS that the teams passage into the decider, provides a welcome distraction from the daily pressures currently facing western Sydney's Muslim community.
"We've been living under a lot of stress and the pressure was palpable and the tension was palpable and we needed something as a distraction." Dr Rifi said.
He said in the wake of the anti-terror raids, the attack on two Melbourne police and news that Australians have headed to the Middle East to fight with IS, a lot of people in his community have felt tainted by the actions of a tiny minority.
It took just one game of football, he said, to turn that around.
"I have seen people suddenly feel happy, I've seen the joy in their face, while before it was all doom and gloom. Sport is a great leveller and it is a uniting force regardless of people’s religion race colour or creed," Dr Rifi said.
Bulldogs' marketing manager Terrence Trujillo said he was proud of the multicultural base the club has built, part of a conscious effort to welcome all kinds into the fold.
"It doesn’t matter where you're from, if you're wearing the blue and white, everyone is together in celebrating and it's something we're really grateful to be a part of," he said.
Regardless of whether the doggies win the premiership this weekend, they've already been victorious in uniting a community that's been fractured by the events of the past few weeks, and for the locals that’s as important a win as any.
