The 2012 Olympics are SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF RAMADAN.

You know, I don't think this will really be a huge issue. There's not a lot of Muslim world class track athletes. Among distance runners it will probably only affect some of the Ethiopian runners. According to Wikipedia about a third of Ethiopians are Muslim.

Learn about Ramadan and running folks.

Islam is tolerant of aboriginal tribes and primitive peoples such as those barbarians in England. Actually you know England has a wonderful and very interesting culture, something worth experiencing at least once in your lifetime.

Interesting, the Jewish calendar is also lunar but they put leap months (and leap days, it's confusing) to make it generally line up with the solar calendar. Didn't realize it wasn't the case for Islam.

So I take it you never compete on a Sunday and go to church instead?

Perhaps the 2012 Games should be held in the middle of the night!

DEARBORN, Mich. -- A Michigan high school football team is holding preseason practices in the middle of the night to help its Muslim players practice both faith and football.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/highschool/news/story?id=5467167

play on Sunday. People have their priorities. Money before religion. In the western USA they have track meets on sundays too.

Those are religions are late bloomer from Eqypt by way of Ethiopia and Kenya, the 1st Civilzations of Mankind.

Religions are man's invention to achieve a higher level of identity (even at the cost of dividing humanity) and get some comfort for the fact we are all slowly walking towards our inevitable physical annihilation.

lv13 wrote:

Religions are man's invention to achieve a higher level of identity (even at the cost of dividing humanity) and get some comfort for the fact we are all slowly walking towards our inevitable physical annihilation.

Y'know, this seems like a pretty reasonable summary.

Humans are (probably) the only animals that can contemplate their own demise. And humans, like other animals, seek to predict outcomes (including their own demise) through identifying cause and effect.

So humans know they're going to die. In general, they'd like to keep it from happening as long as they can. If they can't control causes directly, they'd like to think that someone can; and that that someone can be propitiated by the right kinds of acts, which may be identified by accidental correlation between random incidents. Presto: religion!

They are talking about beelding a Mosk next to Ground Zero and you are talking about Ramadhan ? They need to kick all them Muslyms out of ore country!!!

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Byron Simmons wrote:

They are talking about beelding a Mosk next to Ground Zero and you are talking about Ramadhan ? They need to kick all them Muslyms out of ore country!!!

a) It's hardly "next to" Ground Zero.

b) If I worked/lived in a building that was next to a mosque, I might feel a little safer--maybe a little *less* likely to get bombed.

c) Sure, Ramadan is idiotic, but not much more so than the stuff that adherents of other religions do.

mcgato wrote:

Jefferson Acura wrote:

I mean, you would think that they would coincide fairly often, given that they both take place in late summer/early fall.

I reiterate, f***ing learn something. Estimated dates of Ramadan:

2006: Sep 23 - Oct 22

2007: Sep 13 - Oct 12

2008: Sep 1 - Sep 30

2009: Aug 21 - Sep 19

2010: Aug 11 - Sep 9

2011: Aug 1 - Aug 30

2012: Jul 20 - Aug 18

2013: Jul 9 - Aug 7

2014: Jun 28 - Jul 27

2015: Jun 18 - Jul 17

2016: Jun 6 - Jul 5

2017: May 27 - Jun 25

2018: May 16 - Jun 14

2019: May 6 - Jun 4

2020: Apr 24 - May 23

Maybe you see a pattern. Yes, it will be in December at some point. And some people wonder why most of the world hates Americans.

If you think people hate America because we don't know when ramadan is, then you are an idiot. Why should non muslims keep track of their holiday? If they can't compete, tough shit. Choose a different religon.

Can we let up on the bigotry here? I've fasted every Ramadan since I was seven, and while I can go on about the spiritual rewards, I will testify that fasting Ramadan has made me a physically and mentally stronger person. When you resist the pleasures of eating and drinking, even while your body tells you it wants it, you learn to tolerate physical pain... which is what running is all about, isn't it? I've done running, cycling, and gym class during Ramadan, and though it's hard at the beginning, the occasional side-stitch here and there, I eventually do just as well or even better than before Ramadan.

There are Muslim runners who do well, even while they're fasting, i.e. Omar Kaddurah was 2nd in the Spartan Invitational XC meet-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5siwBG8aixY

.

GUH wrote:

I will testify that fasting Ramadan has made me a physically and mentally stronger person.

I have heard this from others, and suspect it is true.

Once you're mentally strong enough, perhaps you could turn your mind toward considering whether there's actually a Big Guy in the Sky, whom you need to propitiate by avoiding food and drink during the daytime.

...you know, given that there's no actual evidence for a BGitS. (And no, the fact that people have perpetuated the susperstitions that were around 1400+ years ago does not count as evidence.)

I would imagine a good deal of the Moslems who are competing in London will probably say a prayer to apologise and probably take Ramadan off for the year

[quote].Once you're mentally strong enough, perhaps you could turn your mind toward considering whether there's actually a Big Guy in the Sky, whom you need to propitiate by avoiding food and drink during the daytime.

...you know, given that there's no actual evidence for a BGitS. (And no, the fact that people have perpetuated the susperstitions that were around 1400+ years ago does not count as evidence.)[quote]

ydtk, I would hate to have to see you deny the existence of God, then find out, come the afterlife, that the "Big Guy in the Sky" is the one to judge you; I can not force you or anyone to acceptance the existence of God or the Day of Judgement nor can I bring "scientific evidence" that either exists. Call it superstition or whatever you'd like, but I know that God exists. When I ask for his help, he helps me. When I ask him for strength, he strengthens me. When I ask for guidance, he guides me. When I ask him for safety, he keeps me safe. When I ask him to make today a good day, he does that for me. I have, in my lowest moments, questioned what good my worship is doing, but I opened my mind and heart, kept to my faith, and have realized, indeed, that God is present everywhere.

Life is short, ydtk; can you imagine if you were wrong? Like I said, I won't force you to accept the existence God, but I've said what I've had to say, and you can't force me to abandon God, just as I believe that he will never abandon me.

Les wrote:

You know, I don't think this will really be a huge issue. There's not a lot of Muslim world class track athletes. Among distance runners it will probably only affect some of the Ethiopian runners. According to Wikipedia about a third of Ethiopians are Muslim.

.

Actually, there are lots of Muslim world class distance runners.

Don't have to worry about the Jewish holidays, though

I would imagine a good deal of the Moslems who are competing in London will probably say a prayer to apologise and probably take Ramadan off for the year

Why? Their Olympic races don't take up all 30 days of Ramadan, and Muslims are allowed to make up as many days missed throughout other parts of the year. The quran allows missing days when the person is sick or travelling; whether all the days in London or just the day of the journey to London is considered travelling is open for interpretation.

Besides: many Olympic finals occur after nightfall or just a few hours after dawn, such that extra food or water won't be absolutely necessary to qualify or compete.