Mortimer's stunning tribute to 'El Magic' legacy
By James Hooper
The Sunday Telegraph
August 30, 2009 12:01AM
FROM the prayer call at Punchbowl mosque to the corridors of Parliament House in Sydney's
Macquarie St, the magic of blue-and-white wizard Hazem El Masri has touched thousands of people.
In the hospital wards and school playgrounds, on the football field and in the Muslim community, the NRL's greatest point scorer has chosen to speak largely with actions rather than words.
To truly grasp the legacy of this one-of-a-kind rugby league icon,perhaps the greatest tribute has come from the most decorated Bulldogs legend, Steve Mortimer.
"It's an absolute privilege to be mentioned in the same sentence as Hazem El Masri,'' Mortimer said. "For me, rugby league is the greatest game of all and it just seems with all the hardships we've been through, Hazem has been a shining light his entire career."
"He's a silent hero, an unsung hero, who has played the most number of games for the Bulldogs and been a wonderful servant for rugby league."
"With his religion and his faith, he's just an absolute role model not only as a player on the football field, but as an Australian citizen as well. I'm proud to say I know him."
"He's a very humble man and an absolute star.''
In so many ways and on so many different levels, El Masri has been one of the NRL's candles of hope.
Through the the Bulldogs' salary cap and Coffs Harbour scandals, the Sonny Bill Williams saga and last year's wooden spoon, he has remained absolutely loyal to his club.
And off the field, out in the wider community, well, if they named six Immortals for service to the game, you-know-who would qualify in a canter.
This is a right winger who can kick goals blindfolded, bend the ball right to left in a perfect arc, finish a try with speed or snuff one out with an intercept - one of his trademark plays during the Bulldogs era of up-and-in umbrella defence.
Today, the Bulldogs and the NRL community say thank you to a player who can never be replaced.
The little boy from Tripoli in Lebanon, who travelled 16,000km to Sydney at age four, proudly grew into a rugby league legend.
Together, rugby league fans will celebrate at ANZ Stadium, where a crowd of over 40,000 is expected.
"As a young player coming up in the ranks, you look at the Terry Lambs and the Steve Mortimers and you hope that one day you can leave some sort of legacy behind,'' El Masri said. "I'm nowhere near them, but hopefully I can leave something that kids can aspire to in the local district."
"I've been one of the local kids who's come through and made it. I hope for some of the younger Lebanese kids as well, that they can get there mind in order and they put in and be dedicated to what they want to do and do it properly.''
During the week, farewell tributes flowed with the same regularity as El Masri's record haul of 2342 points. And they will continue into the finals.
For rookie Bulldog Jamal Idris, the NRL's next big thing who has played standing inside El Masri all season, Hazem has been a father figure.
"If you look back at the Melbourne Storm game on the Central Coast, he was actually teaching me on the field,'' Idris said.
"He took me in the middle of the field and he was walking me through stuff. I had to tell him to hold up because they were running at us. But it was awesome. He's always teaching me stuff.
He just tries to keep your head in footy."
"That's the best thing. Once your mind is focussed on footy you don't have time to get into mischief. He tries to educate everybody.''
That's El Masri. Simply magic.
There is no doubt Hazem El Masri is a very good Australian Rugby League player and he should be applauded for his ability and lamented for his decision to retire, Hazem El Masri is without doubt a very good athlete and has served the Cantebury Bankstown Bull Dogs well.
It’s just a pity he was a Muslim first and an Australian second.If Hazem El Masri was a NON Muslim he would have been just like any another Rugby League player contracted to the ARL playing for Cantebury Bankstown “The Bull Dogs”
Well done Hazem El Masri you have served your club well, as for Steve Mortimore and his reported comments:
"It's an absolute privilege to be mentioned in the same sentence as Hazem El Masri,'' Mortimer said. "For me, rugby league is the greatest game of all and it just seems with all the hardships we've been through, Hazem has been a shining light his entire career."
"He's a silent hero, an unsung hero, who has played the most number of games for the Bulldogs and been a wonderful servant for rugby league."
"With his religion and his faith, he's just an absolute role model not only as a player on the football field, but as an Australian citizen as well. I'm proud to say I know him."
"He's a very humble man and an absolute star.''
Well I guess Hazem El Masri sure fooled Steve at least, I did not realize Steve thought so little of his own and fellow Cantebury Bankstown greats abilities and contribution to Cantebury Bankstown Rugby Leagues Club and to Australian Rugby League in general that he felt that the likes of Hazem El Masri were owed such adulation by someone like him, I guess the Multiculturalism thought police are alive and well out Cantebury Bankstown Rugby Leagues Club way, so much so that one it’s greatest feel he is required to kneel and grovel at its alter, with such embarrassing comments.
God bless you Hazem El Masri lets hope you see the error of your ways and one day realise that you and your yours are no different than the rest of the majority Judeo Christian Australian community and are subject to the laws of Australia, irrespective of your “Religious” ,“ Ideological” or superstitious beliefs.
If you and you family find Australia’s Judeo / Christian laws and social structures so incompatible with your ideology, religion or superstitions, FUCK OFF back to whatever country it was your parents RAN AWAY from, where all the manifestations of the 7th century are already in place and are ready and waiting for you and yours to take full benefit and advantage of.
The Superstition /Ideology of Islam does not begat Rugby League,just what would you have become without the Judeo Christian creation of Rugby League?
Another Lebanese Muslim malcontent sitting on a bench late at night refusing to give members of the NSW Police Force your name and address when legally requested to do so, or some light in the darkness of Sydney’s Occupied Territories, who accepted his responsibilities of been a citizen of Australia FIRST and a follower of a 7th Century belief system second and co operated with members of the NSW Police force rather than refuse to do so.
Unfortunately for you Hazem El Masri you and your Muslim “defendant of choice” legal council, you chose to side with the smart arse criminals,pimps and drug dealers and Islamic invaders and colonizers, forget your brilliant sporting record and Steve Mortimor’s lick spittle eulogy, I for one will know you as a Muslim male who, when given the chance, like so many other law abiding Australians to obey and comply with those entrusted to ensure the safety of the majority, that you and your smart arse /mouthed, legal mouth piece, chose to side with,those who have professed to do Australians harm in whatever way they are able to do so, whenever the are able to do so.
Just how many points did you score for your Rugby League Club again ? you see I have forgotten already, no prizes for guessing what I do remember about you though.
You Hazem El Masri, like your fellow ideologues have shown, your total incompatibility with the civilized values and laws of the Western Judeo Christian civilizations aka “The lands of the Great Satan” you and your fore fathers chose to run away to,now that you have finished your brilliant Rugby League career could you at least promise to go home to wherever it was your parents ran away from, and fight your brave fight for your “alternate life style” “culturally diverse” “Multicultural” “Religion of Peace” ideology from your own ideological homeland.
Oh I almost forgot the Gang Rape case, just why did Hazem El Masri refuse a DNA test? Does Hazem really think that he is the exception to the rule when so many of his co religionists have been convicted of gang rape in NSW that he should be exempt from a lawful request to subject himself to a DNA test / well yes he did and he got away with it ,he was not required to give a sample of DNA to the NSW Police Service / force, the rest of his team did however obey Police requests for same, I guess we will never know just what it was Hazem El Masri did or did not get up to the night of the Gang Rape at Coffs Harbour.
Personally I don’t know what he did that night,apart from enunciating the same mantra of denile the Bilal Skaf gang rape scum did following their arrest for the infamous Muslim Gang Rapes, there has been no evidence made public to incriminate Hazem El Masri in the gang rape of a woman at the resort he and his fellow team mates were staying at.
The team willingly gave, and was subjected to DNA tests, all, except for Hazem El Masri, it may well be the victim was an “Aussie Slut” “Skip slut” or a humble “Aussie Pig” and she indeed deserved to get it “Leb style” either way Australians will never know.
However Australians of the Australian Labor Party leftist ideology, will no doubt be able to salve any uncomfortable itches they may have re this matter by “rejoicing in Australia’s rich and diverse Multicultural society” irrespective of how many “Aussie sluts “ and ‘Aussie Pigs” speak up and complain and want to rain on Kevin o7’s Australian Labor Party’s “Multicultural Parade”
