A senior Iranian member of parliament on Tuesday hailed the reaction by French captain Zinedine Zidane during the World Cup final game against Italy that led to his being sent off, the ISNA news agency reported.
"I herewith declare my gratitude and respect to you for the defense of your private and Islamic pride against the unjust insult during the World Cup final," Alaeddin Boroujerdi wrote in a letter to the French playmaker which was carried by ISNA.
In the final minutes of Sunday's final game Italian player Marco Materazzi reportedly called Zidane the "son of a terrorist prostitute," to which the French captain replied by butting Materazzi on the chest.
"Your reaction should be considered as quite logical, as a Muslim is not a terrorist and furthermore the World Cup is venue for solidarity of all world nations and not a place to spread such unfair accusations," added Boroujerdi, who is head of the foreign policy commission of the parliament.
The MP also congratulated Zidane on his election as the best player of this year's World Cup in Germany.
Zidane is one of the most popular foreign players in Iran, not only due to his technical skills but also for his Islamic religion.
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