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2012-07-23

Moroccan Olympic team exempt from fasting

By Hassan Benmehdi for Magharebia in Casablanca – 23/07/12

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With Ramadan falling at the same time as the Olympic Games, many have been wondering whether Maghreb athletes should observe the fast.

In Morocco, the High Council of Ulemas on Thursday (July 19th) issued a statement allowing participants in the London Olympics not to fast during the two weeks of July 27th-August 12th.

"After the matter was raised with the iftaa (legal opinions) authority, the council responded by permitting these athletes not to fast during the competitions, provided that they make up for the days when they do not fast after Ramadan is over and before the next holy month," the statement read.

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The decision is the first of its kind in Morocco since the supreme religious authority has never intervened in sports affairs before.

Moroccan ulemas had to take action in advance by giving a unanimous religious opinion on the matter, sports analyst Mokhtar L'Madani told Magharebia.

"If the council does nothing, you can expect that interpretations will often be radical, and that could have a negative impact on the performance and morale of our athletes, who are supposed to be at the peak of their form so that they can achieve convincing results," he said.

It is important to ensure that Moroccan athletes are not subject to radical fatwas which are often unscientific, L'Madani added.

The Qur'anic verse Suraat al-Baqarah (2:184) says, "Fasting for a limited number of days. So whoever among you is ill or on a journey [during them] - then an equal number of days [are to be made up]."

Muslim ulemas see this as an exception to the rule for two clear-cut cases: sickness and travelling.

In 1999, Tangier preacher Abdelbarii Zemzemi issued a religious opinion that authorised Raja Casablanca players not to fast during the Champions Cup final on the grounds that they were travelling.

The Mufti of Egypt, Ali Jomaa, shared the view. He issued a similar fatwa for Egyptian Olympic athletes, though he added that the exemption could not have been granted had the event been held in Egypt.

He argued that it is the travel aspect that justifies the interruption of fasting, not the sporting aspect or the physical effort.

Nutritionists say that an undernourished body making strenuous physical effort will become distressed after about 40 minutes.

Sara El Bekri, the Moroccan swimmer who won African championships in the 50m and 100m breaststroke and has qualified for the 2012 Olympics, is among those who decided not to fast. In a press statement, she underlined that athletes may be allowed to eat during competitions and make up for the missed fast days later in the year.

Others think it is possible to compete while fasting and insist on strict observance of Ramadan. Some 3,000 participants, who make up a quarter of the competitors, will be affected during the London Olympics.

The Islamic Human Rights Commission contested the dates chosen for the 2012 Olympics back in 2006. Several countries, including Turkey, Egypt and Morocco, requested that the games be rescheduled so that Muslim athletes would not be disadvantaged.

In its reply, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stressed the secular nature of the Olympics, which bring together people from virtually all religions, civilisations and faiths.

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    Anonymous 2012-8-17

    And long live the athletes! They have given their best!

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    Abderraouf 2012-8-14

    The Supreme Council of Ulema and M6 will be accountable before God. As for the pathetic results, these are the same Council of Crooks who must bear the responsibility. Enough of using religion however it suits you!

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    BEN 2012-7-29

    Yes, but these travellers are not doing high-level sport competitions!?! As for Ramadan, for some people this means not eating ideally, for example, for the noble Olympics if they leave their moral and religious background. Islam for robots – one might think that this exists in some people’s delirium.

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    Moumen 2012-7-28

    Morocco, like all other monarchies, is incapable of playing its role of being the loyal and effective spokesman for its subjects and protecting their legitimate interests. It is incapable of assuming its responsibility before the people, which, in this case, means opposing the arbitrariness of the Olympic bodies, which set the dates of the games in London – for the third time!!! – while completely ignoring the holy month of Ramadan, which concerns worldwide one quarter of the athletes, who have a right to observe the fast under normal conditions and, more especially, to be able to take part in the competition under equal conditions with their challengers. The dates of the game exclude these athletes from the competition under the pretext that they are secular. Secularism that impedes certain people’s religious practices is disguised discrimination. The leaders of the Muslims states should have made a unanimous concerted decision to boycott the games for discrimination. But, the Muslim peoples are represented by valets, not leaders, and as a further act of betrayal against their people, they prefer not to displease their masters, manipulate religion and sidestep the given problem. As usual, they take their people for dummies when they themselves are but notorious degenerates. The decision from the Council of Ulemas is but politicking, which, in this circumstance like others, implies no intentions! Null and void! The believers must assume their entire responsibility before God without relying on political procedures that are venal and polluted like their authors and instigators.

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    MOHAMMAD NAEEM 2012-7-24

    This point should be considered by the Ulamaa that if a traveler has intention to stay some where for 14 days or more that traveler does not remain a Musaafir but becomes Muqeem. For the sake of sports to leave the fast can not be appreciated and it will bring curse of Allah.

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    Yusuf Ahmed 2012-7-24

    I think all the muslim countries should have not particapted. How can you postpone Ramadhan ? Morocco is turning into a western state with jewish influnce.

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    Anonymous 2012-7-24

    The issue of fasting like all other religious practices boil down to each person’s free will. These are precisely moments of practicing itjihad, the duty of the moumen (“believer”) in his soul and conscience between God and himself. No authority outside of himself is more legitimate to determine how he should practice his faith. In this case, each of these athletes knows better than anyone else how their body and their mind works – that is true for all believers who face hardship, whether it be physical, intellectual or psychological. “After the matter was raised with the iftaa (legal opinions) authority, the council responded by permitting these athletes to not fast during the competitions provided that they make up for the days when they do not fast after Ramadan is over and before the next holy month” – this decision is a political decision without value, which once again shows the exploitation of the sacred by politics for the worst reasons. Politics – via the Supreme Council of Ulema – is interfering in the relationship between God and his servant. This is heresy! Luckily, they did not refer to some fatwa from some Saudi charlatan, but Zemzemi is not any better. Morocco wants to guarantee itself a few medals. M6 does not give a damn about the afterlife of his subjects just like he does not give a damn about their life on earth.

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    lahcen 2012-7-24

    are we fasting for god or fanatics ramadan show be option is up to individuals. i m fed up with the dictators we want our freedom....

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