SubscribeMuslims Mad At Olympics During Ramadan
From the UK's Daily Mail:
Officials attend a London 2012 Olympic Committee press conference in Canary Wharf in London, April 2006, during a visit to London for progress reports on the 2012 Olympic games. The Arab States' Broadcasting Union (ASBU) has been awarded the Middle Eastern television and Internet rights for the 2012 Olympics in London, the International Olympic Committee said.
Muslims' anger as London Olympics clash with Ramadan
By Claudia Joseph
14th October 2006
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…
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…"
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…
Haven’t the Olympics ever coincided with Ramadan before? They surely must have.
And, as even the article mentions in an aside, if you are traveling you don’t have to fast or observe any of the other Ramadan rituals:
From the Imams at Islam Question And Answer:
For whom is fasting Ramadaan obligatory?
Question:
For whom is fasting Ramadaan obligatory?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Fasting is obligatory for a person if he fulfils five conditions:
1 - He is a Muslim
2 - He is accountable (mukallaf)
3 - He is able to fast
4 - He is settled (not travelling)
5 - There are no impediments to fasting
If these five conditions are met, then it is obligatory for a person to fast.
So once again this just looks like an excuse to make another Western institution submit.