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.
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.
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1 response so far ↓
1 Mother Ecclesiastica // Oct 22, 2006 at 5:04 am
I am sure that Mohamad the Prophet (pbuh) has forseen this particular problem and an Authoritive Ayatolla will be able to quote the correct Sura so that no-one need miss out on their attempt to win gold.
Unfortunately, I am not able to give more reassurance than that.
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