The 2012 Olympics are SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF RAMADAN.

tjrk · 2010-08-16T08:19:58-04:00

I mentioned this in another thread, but thought it might warrant a thread of its own. According to multiple sites (including this one: http://www.when-is.com/ramadan-2012.asp ), Ramadan in 2012 will be roughly from 20 July to 18 August. (Those who observe will actually begin at sunset on 19 July in some areas.) Meanwhile, the Olympic dates are 27 July-12 Aug 2012: http://www.london2012.com/ More info about the conflicting dates here: http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/2012_Olympics_clash_with_Ramadan Be it noted: "The International Olympics Committee has specified that the games must take place between July 15 to August 31." Hence there would be at least a partial conflict with Ramadan, no matter what part of that time window the London organizers chose. I'm REALLY looking forward to all the tearjerking human-interest stories about athletes confronting the conflict between their religion and their competition--not. Looks like I won't be watching this Olympics, either... And I have a question: What will all the East African runners who've, um, "emigrated" to Arabic countries do? Will they be pressured to fast (given the publicity and all), even if they're not adherents of the religion? Boy, Hitchens was right: religion really does poison everything.

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14 years ago 07/26/2011 10:15pm EDT

re: murtada

murtada wrote:
I understand people like to be sarcastic on this message board, so I will take most of the comments with a grain of salt.
Firstly, you don't have to fast while traveling, so during the Olympics, most of the athletes will not fast, making up for it later.
Secondly, it is a time of heightened charity and spirituality. It might be 'idiotic', but if people were more charitable for a month because they believe in some 'invisible big guy in the sky', then so be it.
Thirdly, the question was about fasting during the olympics, not whether God exists or not, or about various races. I find the rather inflammatory comments - even said in jest - take away from the integrity of our sport.
Thanks.

No one has a problem with a person being more charitable because of their religion. We have a problem when they start killing people because of their religion.

14 years ago 07/27/2011 9:56am EDT

re: weaktrollattempt

weaktrollattempt wrote:
Also, what are the chance someone called Antoine is gay?

100%

14 years ago 07/28/2011 2:38pm EDT

re: Ted Allen

14 years ago 07/30/2011 12:55pm EDT

re: rtjs

FYI, *this* year Ramadan starts roughly on August 1st (or sundown on 7/31) and will finish about four weeks later (depending on location, visibility of the moon, etc.).

So the World Championships are taking place during Ramadan ("smack in the middle"), and we'll get a sense of what effect, if any, it has on performances.

14 years ago 07/30/2011 1:40pm EDT

re: tyed

i am sure muhhammad ali had to fight during ramadam several times, does anybody know if when ali fought leon spinks, larry holmes and jimmy young (the jimmy young fight i think was in the afternoon) and trevor berbick were these 4 fights during ramadam as he looked lethargic in these fight, like he did not have energy, if he was unable to eat or even drink a sip of water from the time the sun went up to the fight at night that would explain him being so lethargic

mike tyson also, what tyson did was end knock the guy out in 1 or 2 rounds so the fight wouldnt come down to a war of attrition. he fought the same way when he was not fasting so its hard to tell.

14 years ago 07/30/2011 1:44pm EDT

re: douglas burke

Mo has already said that he is 'deferring' Ramadan in 2012, and a conversation I had the other day with a very devout Muslim from Iraq kinda confirmed that this was actually acceptable.

14 years ago 07/30/2011 2:12pm EDT

re: douglas burke

douglas burke wrote:
i am sure muhhammad ali had to fight during ramadam several times, does anybody know if when ali fought leon spinks, larry holmes and jimmy young (the jimmy young fight i think was in the afternoon) and trevor berbick were these 4 fights during ramadam as he looked lethargic in these fight, like he did not have energy, if he was unable to eat or even drink a sip of water from the time the sun went up to the fight at night that would explain him being so lethargic

"Ramadan"

14 years ago 07/30/2011 2:20pm EDT

re: tyed

tyed wrote:
FYI, *this* year Ramadan starts roughly on August 1st (or sundown on 7/31) and will finish about four weeks later (depending on location, visibility of the moon, etc.).
So the World Championships are taking place during Ramadan ("smack in the middle"), and we'll get a sense of what effect, if any, it has on performances.

It should only affect the first four days of the world champs.

14 years ago 10/24/2011 11:29am EDT

re: mcgato

Just another (periodic) bvmp--so that, when this becomes a big story for the masses in ~8 months, LRCers will have already thought about it (and will have some opinions ready to spout...).

14 years ago 10/24/2011 2:54pm EDT

re: tjrk

Towelheads can't run fast anyway. Morocco is the only semi-towelhead country with decent runners.

14 years ago 02/06/2012 9:24am EST

re: photofinish

Yeah, I'll bump this. I'd like to think that we'd be spared "heartwarming" or "human interest" stories about athletes' Ramadan dilemma, but I'm sure there'll be plenty.

Personally, my "human interest" is seeing how fast humans can be, and the kind of training that gets them there...plus *the races* where they show their speed. Not too many OG viewers are into that boring stuff, though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqGyXq_qqUU

14 years ago 05/03/2012 9:40am EDT

re: tfsj

You knew about this already, right?

13 years ago 06/29/2012 10:09pm EDT

re: ytd

ytd wrote:
You knew about this already, right?

Yes. Yes, I did.

13 years ago 06/30/2012 2:43am EDT

re: tyed

tyed wrote:
douglas burke wrote:
i am sure muhhammad ali had to fight during ramadam several times, does anybody know if when ali fought leon spinks, larry holmes and jimmy young (the jimmy young fight i think was in the afternoon) and trevor berbick were these 4 fights during ramadam as he looked lethargic in these fight, like he did not have energy, if he was unable to eat or even drink a sip of water from the time the sun went up to the fight at night that would explain him being so lethargic
"Ramadan-ding-dong!"

--Fixed.

13 years ago 07/03/2012 4:42pm EDT

re: Religion is a Mental Illness

Okay, you beat me to it on this one.

13 years ago 07/03/2012 5:47pm EDT

re: e7ti

yes, quite brilliant. I love to read how the LRC crowd has God all figured out and can explain the meaning of life so eloquently. Does the idea that just because we can't see it, taste it, touch it, and demand an explanation from it (now!) mean something doesn't exist? Is that not the height of self-centered arrogance? If there is a God, what....He owes you some sort of explanation or tangible proof of his existence that you find acceptable? How would He then be God?

13 years ago 07/03/2012 5:58pm EDT

re: photofinish

I've seen some run damn fast when they hear the whump-whump (sound of Freedom!) of fast approaching Cobra gunships!

13 years ago 07/03/2012 7:08pm EDT

re: drowning in arrogance

drowning in arrogance wrote:
yes, quite brilliant. I love to read how the LRC crowd has God all figured out
To the contrary: the concept doesn't make any sense to me at all!
and can explain the meaning of life so eloquently.
I can't do that either--it's not clear to me that life *has* a meaning. (Beyond my own life, and the meaning I give it as I live it.)
Does the idea that just because we can't see it, taste it, touch it, and demand an explanation from it (now!) mean something doesn't exist?
Nope, not necessarily! But the absence of those items doesn't mean it *does* exist, either.
Is that not the height of self-centered arrogance?
I don't think so...I don't believe in unicorns, even though people have talked about them for millennia and I've read about them in books. And I certainly don't (can't) *know* that they don't exist!
But I do know that lots of people have been looking for them, in lots of places, for a long time, without any convincing evidence of success. So I don't see a need to believe in them so far--but I'm certainly NOT arrogantly close-minded about it, and would happily believe in them if/when some reasonable evidence shows up.
In general, I don't see someone like me, who's ignorant about so many things and admits it, as arrogant--particularly compared to someone, say, who *does* think s/he has all the answers.
If there is a God, what....He owes you some sort of explanation or tangible proof of his existence that you find acceptable? How would He then be God?
Nah, a "god"--at least as they're usually described to me--wouldn't owe me *anything*! Nor--as a complete and perfect entity--would it NEED anything from me. Y'know, like worship, or even acknowledgement.

13 years ago 07/03/2012 7:22pm EDT

re: e7ti

I'm sorry if I'm not the first to ask this question since I haven't been keeping up with the whole thread, but does there happen to be any serious medal contenders that may have conflicts because of this, and if so how will that fare in increasing the american medal chances in the distance events?

13 years ago 07/03/2012 7:31pm EDT

re: J Dawg

J Dawg wrote:
I'm sorry if I'm not the first to ask this question since I haven't been keeping up with the whole thread, but does there happen to be any serious medal contenders that may have conflicts because of this, and if so how will that fare in increasing the american medal chances in the distance events?

I don't know who's competing this year, but Ibrahim Jeilan (ETH)--last year's 10,000m men's winner--was certainly vocal about his Islamic faith.

Plus, there might be a question for the Kenyans who "emigrated" to various Arab countries...

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