Controversy over Saudis snubbing minutes silence respecting those killed in London terror attacks.

After Tom Rogic's screamer in the 64th minute, you'd think that the headline the next morning would detail the goal that put the Socceroos back in contention for automatic qualification to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, but unfortunately it's not.

In response to the recent terrorist attacks in London, the FFA planned a minutes silence before the beginning of Thursday's World Cup Qualifier between Australia and Saudi Arabia. Sadly, there was uproar online as images emerged of the Saudi Arabian players not participating in the tribute to those who suffered as a result in the attacks.

Popular comedian and television personality Dave Hughes cited an incident during the Asian Cup in 2015, where the Saudi team refused to board a team bus being driven by a female. Hughes was insulted enough to suggest that they shouldn't be "given entry" into our country.

Hughes' statement was prompted by Labor MP Anthony Albanese, who on Channel 9's morning show Today, said that it was not an issue of culture, but simply a "disgraceful lack of respect" for not just the two Australians, but for all of the victims of the London terrorist attacks.

The official statement released by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation expressed its "regrets and unreserved apologies" for any offence caused as a result of their boycott, but notably not for the actions themselves.

What this scenario presents is perhaps just a case of poor understanding of cultural differences.

The FFA later revealed that they were informed by the Saudi team that they would not be participating in the minutes silence, as it was "not in line" with Saudi culture. Who are we as Australians, a true multicultural country, to judge the Saudis without fully understanding who they are?

Just as the Saudis didn't understand the importance of a minutes silence as a form of respect in Australian culture, perhaps we don't fully comprehend how a minutes silence may be an insignificant gesture in their society. Maybe we need to focus more on how we go about paying our respects, opposed to ensuring that everyone do it with us.

Australian defender Ryan Mcgowan put it best in an interview the morning after the match, "we don't really have much control over [them], we just wanted to make sure that we did it, and we observed it properly."

So what did the Saudis actually do? They allowed the minutes silence to go ahead, even though it did not align with their culture, they did not rudely disrupt proceedings as they were taking place, and they publicly condemned the terror that took place.

We as a community should be able to accept all these things as an attempt at unity and solidarity between two nations in the fight against terrorism, and forgive the fact that the Saudis may not completely understand our culture, just as we may not understand theirs.