The College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts is poised to ditch their mascot over the perceived fear that it could be offensive to Muslims.
Holy Cross’s mascot is the Crusader – a reference to the medieval Christian knights who fought several wars between the 11th and 13th centuries against the Muslims for control of the Holy Land: what is now, predominately Israel.
The Crusader has been Holy Cross’s mascot for over a century, but college president Rev. Philip L. Boroughs is concerned that the mascot could be “inappropriate” given what the school represents.
Boroughs has established a working group to determine whether the mascot should stay, asking them: “In what ways do you think the Crusader moniker and mascot are appropriate, or inappropriate, representations of the College, given our mission, values, and identity?”
The mascot controversy has deeply divided the Holy Cross community – but one famous alum is lashing out at the administration.
Tommy Heinsohn, an NBA Hall of Famer who played and coached for the Boston Celtics for nearly 20 years, is livid over what he calls “political correctness run amok.”
“There’ll be a hue and cry if they go through with this,” Heinsohn, a 1956 grad of the college, warned. “The necessity of this thing is beyond the pale. Get a life.”
Despite the controversy, no Muslim student has yet to complain about the “offensive” mascot for war crimes that took places on both sides in a conflict fought nearly 1,000 years ago.