Muslims' anger as London Olympics clash with RamadanThe 2012 London Olympics have been plunged into controversy by the discovery that the Games will clash with Ramadan, the most holy month in the Islamic calendar.
The clash will put Muslim athletes at a disadvantage as they will be expected to fast from sunrise to sunset for the entire duration of the Games.
In 2012, Ramadan will take place from July 21 to August 20, while the Olympics run from July 27 to August 12.
An anticipated 3,000 Muslim competitors are expected to be affected.
About a quarter of the 11,099 athletes who took part in the 2004 Athens Olympics came from countries with predominantly Muslim populations.
Because the Muslim calendar is based on a lunar cycle, the ninth month of Ramadan - which runs from the appearance of one new crescent moon to the next - gets earlier by around 11 days each year.
The clash will be a huge embarrassment for Lord Coe, Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell, and London Mayor Ken Livingstone, who have been keen to ensure the Games involve all Britain's ethnic communities.
Massoud Shadjareh, chairman of the London-based Islamic Human Rights Commission, said: "They would not have organised this at Christmas. It is equally stupid to organise it at Ramadan.
"It shows a complete lack of awareness and sensitivity.
"This is going to disadvantage the athletes and alienate the Asian communities by saying they don't matter.
"It's not only going to affect the participants it's going to affect all the people who want to watch the Games.
"They won't want to travel during Ramadan and they won't want to watch sport. It's a spiritual time."
Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra, an imam on the Muslim Council of Great Britain, said: "I'm sure the athletes will seek advice from their scholars.
"They are obviously going to be at a disadvantage because other competitors will be drinking and keeping up their energy levels.
"But they are athletes and I am sure they will train their bodies to cope with this.
"A Muslim might feel it would have been nice to avoid this month but life doesn't stop for Muslims during Ramadan even though they are fasting.
"The best thing for a Muslim is to continue his or her life as normal. This is the real test."
The British Olympic Association is now planning a meeting with the organisers of London 2012 to discuss how the timing will affect UK Muslim athletes.
And Muslim countries such as Turkey are calling for the date to be changed.
Togay Bayalti, president of the National Olympic Committee of Turkey, said: "This will be difficult for Muslim athletes.
"They don't have to observe Ramadan if they are doing sport and travelling but they will have to decide whether it is important to them.
"It would be nice for the friendship of the Games if they had chosen a different date."
The International Olympics Committee insisted the Games take place some time between July 15 to August 31, giving more than a week either side of Ramadan.
IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies said: "We give a window to the five bid cities. The host city selects the dates within that window.
"The Games bring together virtually every religion and creed. How to deal with religious clashes is up to the athletes."
Joanna Manning Cooper, spokeswoman for London 2012, said: "We did know about it when we submitted our bid and we have always believed we could find ways to accommodate it.
"We had lots of things to consider when we submitted our dates, including the fact that transport will be less crowded in the summer holiday.
"We also need 70,000 volunteers and this is the best time to find them.
"We are working with the Muslim Council of Great Britain to find ways to accommodate Ramadan during the London Games."
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-410439/Muslims-anger-London-Olym...
Muslim Anger at London Olympics
Published by Seraphim on 9 June, 2012 - 14:07
This has been discussed already hasnt it? Or did I just read it ages ago?
"How many people find fault in what they're reading and the fault is in their own understanding" Al Mutanabbi
The Olympics have always been at the same time every four years, right? It would've been nice for them to accomodate Muslims. What would be the best time, after Ramadhan? Then, it'll go beyond the summer holidays!
big flop right there, surprised noone noticed. the mayor of Landan aint Ken Livingstone... It's our crazy haired Boris JahnSans.
Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?
Last updated at 22:24 14 October 2006 -.-
the actual article? LOL
Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?
Yes, No Wonder! I burst out laughing at that!
tbh I think it'd be asking for a bit much to change the dates of the Olympics just for Muslims. Yes, it'd be nice, but it's always in the summer (I think) and there are soo many other people from different backgrounds taking part that it just wouldn't make sense to change it just for Muslims (who are probably the minority in wanting it to change). Obviously it'd be a shame to miss out on the olympics or not do as well because of fasting, but there's always next year, or the year after that. I pray some of those Muslims taking part, who have decided they don't want to ruin their chances of winning a gold medal in the olympics, come to recognise the importance of Ramadhan and how much 'gold' they can earn from it.
"How many people find fault in what they're reading and the fault is in their own understanding" Al Mutanabbi
Its every four years! Thats a really really long time. And soo much effort and time goes into training! If you have too much of a break, its harder to get back into the routine and you sometimes loose your ability to do better!
But i guess there needs to be priorities! The success for the hereafter is more important than the success for a medal! I love TPOSs last few words!
I think the olympics are held the around about the same time every four years....abit much for us as muslims to want people to change things just for us.
and anyway ramadhan comes twelve days earlier every year, what else would we like to delay for it?
ramadhan is a part of our deen not theirs...why should they have to suffer delaying something just because we have to fast?
It's not a bit much to plan an international event supposedly on equal footing in a way where 25% of the participants will not be put in an unequal footing.
the article is from 2006, this could have been planned around.
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
it's not just a simple case of planning around, you would have to bring all sporting events forward, and then every other sporting event after the olympics will be late....and thats not just for one sport but for all sports that take place in the olympics.
hardly worth it for only 25 percent!
I think the muslim ummah should either one fast and compete or two just say sorry can't compete it's ramadhan and my deen means more to me then sport!
but that is just my veiw on the matter.
they had 6 years.
Its not like they were asked yesterday.
and 25% is a big number. even if plucked out of thin air.
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?
I think the muslim ummah just needs to face facts....the olympics will be held in ramadhan, it can't be delayed because it's always held at the same time.
if you want to compete do but everyone just need to stop complaining!
they may of had six years in their hands, however it doesn't change the fact that it is just way too much effort!
and to tell the truth it would be putting more people out if you did changed the date then if you just left it!
You are looking at the article as if it is someone writing it now and not someone throwing up a concern back when things were planned.
Throwing it up as a concern now is of xourse crazy.
But in the initial planning stages if it was brought up it deserved consideration.
Easy to say, but we simply dont know. I doubt that is the case really.
ther is no need to put people off it.
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.