"The 2012 Games are scheduled for July 27 to Aug. 12, while Ramadan, which follows a lunar cycle that moves it earlier each year by about 11 days, will run from July 21 to Aug. 20. "
"The International Olympic Committee requires the Games begin between July 15 and Aug. 31 but leaves the final decision to the host city. "
"In Britain, where Muslim integration is a major political and social issue, the apparently poor planning will come as an embarrassment, especially because a spokesman acknowledged that the committee has known all along about the conflict, but never mentioned it. A meeting is planned to discuss how Muslim athletes will be affected. "
--National Post (10/16/06)
Let's all make dua that our muslim athletes will be given a fair chance to compete in this international event and that if the dates are not changed they will NOT leave Ramadhan and refrain from fasting, May Allah give them strength if that happens. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds.
The issue is also a far larger one about the entire significance of the Olympic Games.
How many times in Olympic history have the games conflicted with Ramadan?
The symbolism of the Olympic rings is utilised in very many modern social contexts and not being a part of the group who uses can be a major hinderance to a Muslim in simply getting by in a "western" industrialised legislative democracy. (Australia is so far east it always is stark barking balmy to refer to us as west: yet we are usually well within the Olympic rings, so if Australians were to begin a mass conversion to Islam - which there are existing signs of being a commencing throught stream - the issue of the Olympic games is a necessary to resolve)
Who would adhere to a boycott of the Olympics because of a clash with Ramadan?
My brother was a greco-roman and freestyle wrestler for much of his teenage years and the under sixteen Australian Champion for a while, so my parents had considerable input to the Wrestling during the Sydney Olympics.
In fact my mother uncovered substantial evidence of the funding for Olympic Sport being corrupt at the highest level. She was making a manouver to get the major public television broadcaster in Australia to make a documentary, but then a leak happened and the necessary documents went walkabout. But most sporting authorities are well renowned as being corrupt in the funding. Most sports people whom meet the Olympic standards are in grave risk of running the life of their body out in their physical movement ablity only by the extremes they are pushed to for breaking a new world record etc, and presumably only so that the next sports goods advertisers can employ a new record breaker as sponsor. How many children are eating junk food being sold as though the diet of elite sports people?
Why do we as Muslims want to compete?
I believe that Sport is a worthy cause, and it is truly a recent modern phenomena that is equivalent to Jihad in many manifestations; if only we can ensure that the Olympics stays an ameuter event.
The way of a Fakir in finding their self in Allah is equitable with the method of elite sport. So of course we want for elite sports people that they are not competing while bereft of Islam. (By way of Fakir I am meaning the methodology of working the physical body, that is distinct from the way of a monk in working emotions, the way of a yogi in working the mind, and the way that combines those three into a fourth: each methodology has its place in Islam)
There by it is a slight worth faulting truly and gravely; that the Olympic committee knew about the conflict with Ramadan.
Last edited by Curaezipirid; 10-17-2006 at 07:31 AM.
Reason: putting the "e" back into gravely
Within the Realm of King Solomon
Who could have known I was home grown
An accuser's false allegation
Did warrant only my Nation in apology for inconveniences
its shaytan leeches
who accuse
my unconscious sleep
of accusing you too cheep
I will be selling for five times three
centsiblity
The point is will any muslims have a fair shot at the olympics when they have no food in their system to give them energy in the daytime? Uh....NO.
Maybe the better question would be, Does England society wish to continually make muslims feel like outcasts?
With all due respect, the Olympics are held when the Olympics are held. I sympathize with those who won't be able to compete at top level because of a religious observance, but the same would be true of any religious observance, regardless whether it is Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, etc. The date of the Olympics has nothing to do with making "Muslims feel like outcasts".
With all due respect, the Olympics are held when the Olympics are held. I sympathize with those who won't be able to compete at top level because of a religious observance, but the same would be true of any religious observance, regardless whether it is Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, etc. The date of the Olympics has nothing to do with making "Muslims feel like outcasts".
Quite clearly Keltoi, we can possibly all agree that the date of the Olympics has nothing to do with making "Muslims feel like outcasts".
But there is no verifyable evidence that those who work to define the dates of Olympic events are not not avoiding Ramadan because they want for elite athletes to be discredited as Muslim. You never know Cathy Freeman could have secretly been the token elite Moslem athlete; you might never know.
Actually I doubt any Muslims will feel outcast but rather feel quite considered even if it is in objectionable consideration. When they are acknowledging a failure to account for the impact of Ramadan on the Olympics, then they are acknowledging that Islam has a worth due considering.
Really, could we all not be forgiving any elite Muslim athlete for not fasting one year? Then the Olympic organisers would not be able to fault the Muslim athlete for not being in fast.
Ramadan has surprising effects upon the whole community of life at Earth. Even the newspapers contain daily warnings of the necessity during Ramadan.
Also I can add that north_malaysian is expressing the situation quite accurately
wasalam
Within the Realm of King Solomon
Who could have known I was home grown
An accuser's false allegation
Did warrant only my Nation in apology for inconveniences
its shaytan leeches
who accuse
my unconscious sleep
of accusing you too cheep
I will be selling for five times three
centsiblity
It has everything to do with it! You call for the people of the UK to reach out to Muslims and help integrate, and claim that they are contradicting there previous statements. Yet I ask a simple question. Do Muslims wish to integrate into mainstreak UK society?
It has everything to do with it! You call for the people of the UK to reach out to Muslims and help integrate, and claim that they are contradicting there previous statements. Yet I ask a simple question. Do Muslims wish to integrate into mainstreak UK society?
If any of the posts on this forum are any indication, I would say integrating into British society isn't on the agenda.
The 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.
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."
Man in honesty, this is exactly what I don't get about some Muslims.
The Olympic games will clash with ramadan, ok, so if you want to take part take part if you don't then don't. Nothing to complain about.
It's not like your sport is hot dog eating compatition. And if it was then just miss it because Ramadaan is more important.
Furthermore, I hope this stops some Muslims who go with a headscarf and then wear those tightfitting body suits for running, La Hawla Wa La Quwata Illah Billah.
The path is long but I hope we meet,
After the grave and the Day, in paradise in bliss upon a reclined seat.
A traveler traveling - travelled from shirk to tawheed,
If I'm remembered for anything - let it be the Mercy I seek.
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London Olympics to clash with Ramadan
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