Editorial: Sonny Bill makes a point on behalf of religion ... and politics

Mark Dawson, Editor of Wanganui Chronicle

Last week, rugby star Sonny Bill Williams caused a kerfuffle by putting sticking plasters on his shirt to block out a sponsor's name when he ran out for the Blues in their match against the Highlanders.

The sponsor was a bank - BNZ - and Williams' Muslim religion does not allow him to support usury (the loaning of money to make money by charging interest - i.e. what banks do), as well as those involved in gambling and alcohol.

Quite rightly, his "conscientious objection" has been allowed and his religious beliefs respected and this weekend he turned out with a Plunket logo where BNZ had once been.

The fact that Plunket is described as a "core partner" of BNZ, and runs the occasional lucky dip stall and wine-and-cheese evening has, so far, not raised any Islamic hackles.

In an era where sport is all about money and corporations can buy up any field of dreams (and, yes, the support of sponsors is vital to the survival of sport, be it the All Blacks or the local hockey club), it is heartening to see a bit of push back.

Values rather than commercial value wins a small victory.

While not quite on a par with the Black Power salute on the podium at the 1968 Olympics, Williams' stand is also a political statement - and one we should be grateful for.

The usurers - sorry, banks - are in the business of putting us into debt to make money from us. Home loans, credit cards, whatever ... they encourage people to spend more than they have, and then they laugh all the way to the bank (their bank).

Less than 10 years ago, this encouragement of more and more debt caused the biggest worldwide recession since the Great Depression. Could the global financial crisis have been averted if a top US basketball player had taped over his Lehman Brothers logo, or the star baseball pitcher covered up that Merrill Lynch emblem?

Pass the sticking plaster, Sonny Bill.