KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The NFL said Tuesday that Kansas City Chiefs safety Husain Abdullah should not have been penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct when he dropped to his knees in prayer after an interception.The leagues rule book prohibits players from celebrating while on the ground, but spokesman Michael Signora wrote in an email Tuesday that the officiating mechanic in this situation is not to flag a player who goes to the ground as part of religious expression, and as a result, there should have been no penalty on the play.The flag thrown in the fourth quarter of Kansas Citys 41-14 victory over the New England Patriots on Monday night led to criticism on social media, with many wondering how it was different from players such as former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow dropping to one knee in Christian prayer.Abdullah is a devout Muslim who took a year off from football to make a pilgrimage to Mecca. He said after Mondays game that he knew before he even reached the end zone he would drop to his knees in thankful prayer after intercepting Tom Brady.After he slid to the grass in Arrowhead Stadium, yellow flags came flying from the officials.I dont think it was because of the actual prostration that I got the penalty, Abdullah told The Associated Press afterward. I think it was because of the slide.And thats precisely the explanation that Chiefs coach Andy Reid said he received from the game officials. They had no issue with the prayer, Reid said, only the celebratory slide.The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a civil liberties and advocacy organization, issued a statement early Tuesday asking that the NFL take steps in response to the penalty.To prevent the appearance of a double standard, we urge league officials to clarify the policy on prayer and recognize that the official made a mistake in this case, CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper said.Reid didnt agree with the penalty, but he also didnt make much of it.When you go to Mecca, he said, referring to the end zone, you should have the privilege to slide anywhere you want to slide. We have two priests in here. I think they will vouch for me.Indeed, there were two pastors sitting in Reids postgame news conference.Abdullah is in his second year with the Chiefs after spending an entire season away from the game. He decided that, in the prime of his career, he would join his brother Hamza a€” who also was playing in the NFL at the time a€” to make a pilgrimage to Mecca. The Fifth Pillar of Islam is The Hajj, the pilgrimage that all Muslims are supposed to make once in their lifetime.Abdullah, who also fasts during Ramadan, told the AP in an interview last year the brothers wanted to make sure they did the pilgrimage while they still had the health and means to go.In the case of Hamza, it proved costly. He never got a shot to return to the NFL.Husain Abdullah said he didnt expect any repercussions from his penalty Monday night, least of all from his coach. After all, it was Reid who gave him an opportunity to work his way back into the league after he had stepped away.Im pretty sure he understands who I am, what my faith is, he said. And again, I think the prostration is all right. Its the slide. Come to a full stop, get down, make the prostration, get up and get out.___Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL on Twitter: www.twitter.com/AP_NFLNike Free Canada . Richard Jefferson scored 17 points and Diante Garrett had a career-high 15 points as the Jazz had seven players with 10 points or more in Utahs largest margin of victory this season. Nike Free Clearance . Neither player was available Saturday for the Knicks 107-98 loss in Atlanta. "Were going in a different direction and weve got to figure out another spot or two for our ballclub," coach Mike Woodson said before the game. http://www.cheapnikefreecanada.com/ .com) - Guard Greivis Vasquez and forward Patrick Patterson, two key pieces to the Toronto Raptors run to an Atlantic Division title in 2013-14, were both given qualifying offers by the team on Saturday. Nike Free Canada Online . -- Canadian womens amateur golf champion Brooke Henderson is a little less starstruck as she prepares for her second career appearance at an LPGA Tour major event. Nike Free Canada Outlet . If one fighter gases, he usually gets beat up pretty bad from that point on.null China NFL JerseysCheap Nike NFL JerseysNFL Jerseys CheapWholesale NFL JerseysCheap Basketball Jerseys OnlineStitched Hockey JerseysWholesale Baseball JerseysFootball Jerseys OutletCollege Jerseys For SaleCheap MLB JerseysWholesale Soccer JerseysWholesale Jerseys For SaleWholesale NFL Jerseys ' ' '