NBA: Celtics' Kanter claims he was harassed outside mosque | ABS-CBN
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NBA: Celtics' Kanter claims he was harassed outside mosque
NBA: Celtics' Kanter claims he was harassed outside mosque
Field Level Media/Reuters
Published Oct 06, 2019 09:09 AM PHT
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Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter, whose highly publicized criticisms of Turkey's president have made him a wanted man in his former homeland and has led him to avoid playing overseas, on Saturday claimed he and a teammate were harassed at a Boston mosque.
Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter, whose highly publicized criticisms of Turkey's president have made him a wanted man in his former homeland and has led him to avoid playing overseas, on Saturday claimed he and a teammate were harassed at a Boston mosque.
Kanter posted a video to Twitter in which he claims men who support Turkish president Recep Erdogan were harassing both him and teammate Tacko Fall outside a mosque in Boston on Friday afternoon.
Kanter posted a video to Twitter in which he claims men who support Turkish president Recep Erdogan were harassing both him and teammate Tacko Fall outside a mosque in Boston on Friday afternoon.
"There's Turkish people attacking us. I told you, America, this is crazy, right?" Kanter said in the video.
"There's Turkish people attacking us. I told you, America, this is crazy, right?" Kanter said in the video.
Hello Everyone!#DictatorErdogan @RTErdogan thugs attacked and threatened me today after Friday prayer in Boston at a mosque
Turkish Government don't even let me practice my religion freely in America let alone my freedom of speech is under attack@FBI@FBIBoston@bostonpolice pic.twitter.com/FH2Ixe6QcY
— Enes Kanter (@EnesKanter) October 4, 2019
Hello Everyone!#DictatorErdogan @RTErdogan thugs attacked and threatened me today after Friday prayer in Boston at a mosque
— Enes Kanter (@EnesKanter) October 4, 2019
Turkish Government don't even let me practice my religion freely in America let alone my freedom of speech is under attack@FBI@FBIBoston@bostonpolice pic.twitter.com/FH2Ixe6QcY
It appears one of the men Kanter claims to be harassing him is also filming Kanter with his phone. The men talking to Kanter were speaking in Turkish.
It appears one of the men Kanter claims to be harassing him is also filming Kanter with his phone. The men talking to Kanter were speaking in Turkish.
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Talking to reporters Saturday before the Celtics held their annual open practice at TD Garden for fans, Kanter said he will continue to speak out against Turkey and what he believes are human rights violations in the country, which revoked his passport in 2017.
Talking to reporters Saturday before the Celtics held their annual open practice at TD Garden for fans, Kanter said he will continue to speak out against Turkey and what he believes are human rights violations in the country, which revoked his passport in 2017.
In an article he wrote for Time in 2018, Kanter said he is "now stateless and pretty much can't leave the United States."
In an article he wrote for Time in 2018, Kanter said he is "now stateless and pretty much can't leave the United States."
Kanter also told reporters Saturday that he plans on hiring full-time security in light of the incident, which reportedly took place outside the Islamic Society of Boston mosque in Cambridge, Mass.
Kanter also told reporters Saturday that he plans on hiring full-time security in light of the incident, which reportedly took place outside the Islamic Society of Boston mosque in Cambridge, Mass.
Kanter told the media he and Fall -- a rookie who is Senegalese -- chose that mosque because of its proximity to the Celtics' facility and went there between practices Friday.
Kanter told the media he and Fall -- a rookie who is Senegalese -- chose that mosque because of its proximity to the Celtics' facility and went there between practices Friday.
"Our second practice was at 3 p.m. So I went to this mosque, we prayed and me and Tacko were about to leave, and then we were just outside and there were just these two guys," Kanter said. "You can see on the video they were just waiting for us. They were screaming, they were yelling, they were cursing.
"Our second practice was at 3 p.m. So I went to this mosque, we prayed and me and Tacko were about to leave, and then we were just outside and there were just these two guys," Kanter said. "You can see on the video they were just waiting for us. They were screaming, they were yelling, they were cursing.
"It was pretty crazy, because this is America. You should be safe to come in a mosque and pray peacefully. It was the first time it's happened to me in America, but it was definitely scary because I looked at Tacko and said, 'Tacko, don't worry about it. I've got it. We're fine.' But we were just waiting for our Uber, so it was crazy and scary."
"It was pretty crazy, because this is America. You should be safe to come in a mosque and pray peacefully. It was the first time it's happened to me in America, but it was definitely scary because I looked at Tacko and said, 'Tacko, don't worry about it. I've got it. We're fine.' But we were just waiting for our Uber, so it was crazy and scary."
For more sports coverage, visit the ABS-CBN Sports website.
For more sports coverage, visit the ABS-CBN Sports website.
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