Reply to: Muslims' anger as London Olympics clash with Ramadan

[Forumbore]

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.

Answer: they would have been fecked anyway unless they moved it past the holiday season which they didn't want to do.


Hassiba Boulmerka of Algeria won the gold medal in the 1,500 meters race at the Barcelona Games of 1996, competing in a standard runner's outfit. Her victory caused a Muslim preacher in Algeria to denounce those who "dare display their nudity before the whole world." Death threats followed. Boulmerka became an outcast, afraid to return to her own country.

As I see it, the Olympics is a stage to unite common values of human achievement, teamwork and camaraderie. The very fact that yet again a minority of malicious minded individuals are using this as a stage to further shout their antiquated idealism should be cart blanche for athletes to stick a proverbial two fingers up at religion and its divisive practices and revel in the joy of sport.

So they should be Ok for the relays and the closing ceremonies then

[hyperD]

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.

Answer: they would have been fecked anyway unless they moved it past the holiday season which they didn't want to do.


Hassiba Boulmerka of Algeria won the gold medal in the 1,500 meters race at the Barcelona Games of 1996, competing in a standard runner's outfit. Her victory caused a Muslim preacher in Algeria to denounce those who "dare display their nudity before the whole world." Death threats followed. Boulmerka became an outcast, afraid to return to her own country.

As I see it, the Olympics is a stage to unite common values of human achievement, teamwork and camaraderie. The very fact that yet again a minority of malicious minded individuals are using this as a stage to further shout their antiquated idealism should be cart blanche for athletes to stick a proverbial two fingers up at religion and its divisive practices and revel in the joy of sport.

[AtW]

That's Sharia law for you - they had it for a long time, and it is still in effect in many countries like Saudi Arabia.

One thing Taleban did was to stop drug trade because it is against Sharia Law, now that Afganistan is invaded by Western forces they have to turn blind eye on drugs there because they need support of locals - and said drugs go nowhere else but the West itself.

Some countries are just backwards, they want to stay in the past and if you ask me then so be it - of course having training camps that are used to train operatives that will attack other countries should bring about swift response: bombing to the stone age, but there is little need or gain in trying to take the ground - a complete waste of money and material as well as prestige.

Life is short, and to lose it trying to bring freedom to people who don't want it or don't value it or won't lay down their own life for it is pointless loss of life.

[hattra]

Er - they "won power" by shooting straighter than anyone else, and kept it by ruthlessly repressing any dissent (like cutting off the nose or ears of any man who dared to shave, beating women nearly to death in the street for letting their abaya or veil slip), etc etc. They also made it illegal for women to work, and abolished the education of women (teaching a girl to read or write could lead to summary execution (even though the Koran recommends that they should be "taught to read, so that they can read the Koran"). It was these "good ol' boys" who willingly let El Qaeda into Afghanistan, which resulted in 9/11 and the subsequent invasions of both Afghanistan and Iraq by the West

[AtW]

For Afganistan Taliban are not extremists but more like old-school folk who just want classical Sharia Laws to be upheld: in fact they have won power because their platform was appealing to a very significant number of otherwise split up people there.

[hattra]

since when did an extremist muslim group become a country?

Er - how about the Taliban & Afghanistan?

[sasguru]

Most of the over reactions and hysteria is coming from the religion of peace innit

Mailman

No, recently it has been coming from HM government.

[John Galt]

How many holes in one arguement can you provide?

Muslims choose to follow one of the basics tenents of their religion, yes correct. The same way Christians choose to observe Easter, Hindus diwali, Jews passover etc. Difference is the Olympics have been scheduled to conflict with their most sacred time, and this clearly gives their athletes a major religious dilema, which could easily have been avoided.

Islamic countries twist their religion to justify killing people do they, since when did an extremist muslim group become a country?

Muslims hate sport, that's a big call - care to ellaborate?

The last ones a beut - Islamic leaders are at fault for this scheduling screwup actually, cause they planned this all along to stop Jews and Muslims shaking hands. Riiight.

I am sure that it could have been avoided if the Olympic committee had consulted with every competing athlete and their religious advisors before scheduling the event to determine whether they would actually be interfering in everyone's religious practises but oddly I would think their main concern would be sport! This is just another example of muslim extremists creating a media led furor to bring their 'demands' to the forefront of British culture.

[Mailman]

IT is fair to schedule the Olympics not to conflict with any of the major religions, given that it is, by definition, a world-wide event.

I agree with Snaw. I'm not a fan of religions in general (and Islam in particular) but I think the kind of overreaction and hysteria being created at the moment is counter-productive.

Most of the over reactions and hysteria is coming from the religion of peace innit

Mailman

[sasguru]

IT is fair to schedule the Olympics not to conflict with any of the major religions, given that it is, by definition, a world-wide event.

I agree with Snaw. I'm not a fan of religions in general (and Islam in particular) but I think the kind of overreaction and hysteria being created at the moment is counter-productive.

[snaw]

The word "cant" is misleading. They "choose" when they eat or drink and they "choose" to have their ramadan. The word "cant" is too often used as a means of abrogating responsibility. The great thing about sport is that it transcends religion and brings people together on a level playing field. If Islamic countries were that interested in their people doing well they must surely be able to interpret their religion in a way that would free muslims to play sport. After all they manage to twist their religion to justify killing people.

No the real reason why they hate sport is because they lwill ose the control that their leaders enjoy. They wouldnt want Jews and Muslims competing on the track and shaking hands after a race would they?

How many holes in one arguement can you provide?

Muslims choose to follow one of the basics tenents of their religion, yes correct. The same way Christians choose to observe Easter, Hindus diwali, Jews passover etc. Difference is the Olympics have been scheduled to conflict with their most sacred time, and this clearly gives their athletes a major religious dilema, which could easily have been avoided.

Islamic countries twist their religion to justify killing people do they, since when did an extremist muslim group become a country?

Muslims hate sport, that's a big call - care to ellaborate?

The last ones a beut - Islamic leaders are at fault for this scheduling screwup actually, cause they planned this all along to stop Jews and Muslims shaking hands. Riiight.

[Forumbore]

Cause we've scheduled the bloody thing to conflict with thier holy month, they can't change when that takes place but we could have been a little more sensitive to that and scheduled it a week later. Problem solved.

Given muslims can't eat or drink during the daylight hours then clearly this causes an issue, not of their making. When I say that the Olympics should be free of religion, I mean exactly that - there should be no room for this kind of religious dilema for a sginificant portion of the participants.

The word "cant" is misleading. They "choose" when they eat or drink and they "choose" to have their ramadan. The word "cant" is too often used as a means of abrogating responsibility. The great thing about sport is that it transcends religion and brings people together on a level playing field. If Islamic countries were that interested in their people doing well they must surely be able to interpret their religion in a way that would free muslims to play sport. After all they manage to twist their religion to justify killing people.

No the real reason why they hate sport is because they lwill ose the control that their leaders enjoy. They wouldnt want Jews and Muslims competing on the track and shaking hands after a race would they?

[snaw]

Cause we've scheduled the bloody thing to conflict with thier holy month, they can't change when that takes place but we could have been a little more sensitive to that and scheduled it a week later. Problem solved.

Given muslims can't eat or drink during the daylight hours then clearly this causes an issue, not of their making. When I say that the Olympics should be free of religion, I mean exactly that - there should be no room for this kind of religious dilema for a sginificant portion of the participants.

[stackpole]

Because this could easily have been avoided.

Not sure where you get the arguement that Muslims (WTF is mozzies supposed to be, some half arsed insult?) can break the fast to play sport. I'm guessing there wasn't too much of that going on back in Saudi 1300 years ago - you can only break it to travel and if you're sick.

The striker in my fitbaw team is muslim, gotta take my hat off to him - plays a full game, well, and doesn't touch a drop of water atm. Not sure that would work with Olympic level athletes though ...

There is an irony on people on this thread whinging (There's a fecking surprise) about people whinging. To just write of the legitimate complaint of 25% of the competitors and a significant chunk of of the countries of the world, just cause they're muslim is a bit off imo.

snaw, you said, and I quote: "the Olympics is an event which, in principle, is meant to be free of politcis and religion and all that other bollocks."

So why is this, and I quote you again, a "legitimate complaint of 25% of the competitors and a significant chunk of of the countries of the world"?

[Forumbore]

Ahh well then, I never realised you were an aussie. Of course sport should come before religion. Silly me.

Dunno that I'd classify me saying that maybe muslims have a case for being a wee bit pissed off with the timing of the Olympics as whinging, but if so then I guess you go through life listening to whinging all day long.

Sport is far more important than religion. Look how countries connect to the enemies (India Pakistan and cricket) and the outside world through sport. Sport lifts people (unless you are an Arsenal supporter) whereas religion is subversive controlling and of course is the major cause of conflict.