England soccer fans have been warned not to dress up as medieval Christian crusaders in Qatar, the first Islamic country to host the World Cup, report says

• England fans have been banned from dressing up as Christian crusaders at World Cup matches.
• It has been ruled that dressing as a crusader is offensive to Muslims, The Times reported.

In Qatar, the first Islamic country to host the World Cup, England fans have been warned not to fancy-dress as Christian crusaders for matches.

It has been ruled that fans outfitted as crusader knights, including chain mail and carrying plastic swords, is "offensive" to Muslims, The Times reports. The international governing body of football, FIFA, told the paper that " is why anti-discrimination colleagues asked fans to wear things inside out or change dress."

The Times reports that two English fans dressed as crusaders were turned away from the England game against Iran on Monday. Other fans dressed as crusaders were spotted in the crowd, The Times said on Friday.

The announcement came hours before England plays the USA at the 60,000-seater Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, north of Doha, at 2 p.m EST.

The Crusades (1095 – 1291) was a series of wars between armies of knights from Christian Europe and Muslim forces to secure control of the Holy Land, most significantly Jerusalem, considered sacred to both religions.

The patron saint of England is St George, a warrior saint from Roman times. The flag of Saint George, a red cross on a white background, became an English crusader symbol. Dressing as a medieval knight sporting the flag of St George has become popular among football fans attending England games in recent years.

In a statement to the Times, Iman Atta, director of Tell Mama UK, a British anti-islamophobia charity, said: "Our fans should be mindful that there are things that may cause offense to Qatari citizens, such as openly drinking or wearing historical Crusader Knights Templar outfits that have very negative implications in the region."

Crusade-era terminology has previously been used in the incitement of islamophobic abuse. Tell Mama UK said that far-right rhetoric "regularly plays on imagery and text from the Crusades."

Kick it Out, a UK campaign set up to fight racism in football, said: "We would advise fans who are attending FIFA World Cup matches that certain attire, such as fancy-dress costumes representing knights or crusaders, may not be welcomed in Qatar and other Islamic countries," the Kick It Out spokesperson is quoted as saying in The Times.