Muslim players

[dazby]

Can someone please highlight the differences in their preparation for a game please? Isn't there a rule where they don't eat on a Saturday? I remember the Saudi Arabia team competing reasonably during midweek games but playing terribly on a Saturday.

Muslim culture is not that prevalent in Oz so this is an information thread.

[Fidel Castro]

it's not that prevalent, cos you keep terrorising them mate ;)

can't help you i'm afraid. most muslims i know drink alcohol so don't think they'll give a shit about rules on saturdays all of a sudden. aren't you just thinking of ramadan?

[dazby]

I don't know what I'm thinking of which is why I'm asking the question.

[The Man In Blue]

afaik there's no rule against eating on a saturday, just during the month of ramadan they are not supposed to eat or drink during daylight hours.

[saulman]

Isn't Anelka a muslim?

[HeyMark]

Isn't Anelka a muslim?

Yup, think yaya and kolo are too

[LookMumImOnMCF.net]

I've limited knowledge but I'm pretty certain not easting on a Saturday isn't a muslim ritual. Some people who may or may not be muslim might give it a go, but I've never heard of it.

There are certain days when practising muslims fast around ramadan, but this isn't over a long period of time.

I don't think Saudi Arabia not playing well on a Saturday would have much to do with anything.

[Slim]

There is over 350,000 muslims in this country dazby, which may not seem like much to other populations, but in 20 million people that's a fair whack. To put in in perspective, there are 500,000 Aboriginals in Australia.

[DoomMerchant]

There is over 350,000 muslims in this country dazby, which may not seem like much to other populations, but in 20 million people that's a fair whack. To put in in perspective, there are 500,000 Aboriginals in Australia.

look at you...you and your...your facts.

Can't Dadzby just have an emotional pseudo-racist question posed without flak?

cheers

[Fidel Castro]

dazby is secretly a dirty racist. should've seen his face when we took him to rusholme

[Goataldo]

Shalom!

Saturday is the Jewish sabbath - i'm no religous expert, but they're not supposed to work or do anything much on a Saturday as far as I know. Might explain West Ham's form.

Avram Grant and Don't Tell Ben Haim or whatever his name is missed a game a bit back cos of Yom Kippur or summat.

Anyone who thinks I don;t do my research is dead right btw, so correct me if I'm wrong.

On the subject of Rammadan though, I'm glad I'm not a muslim - I'm nearly passing out if I reach midday without food, and wouldn't think I'd be fit to drive. I'm not anti-islam (no more so than any other religion anyway), just pro-scran.

[Burt]

Shalom!

Saturday is the Jewish sabbath - i'm no religous expert, but they're not supposed to work or do anything much on a Saturday as far as I know. Might explain West Ham's form.

Avram Grant and Don't Tell Ben Haim or whatever his name is missed a game a bit back cos of Yom Kippur or summat.

Anyone who thinks I don;t do my research is dead right btw, so correct me if I'm wrong.

On the subject of Rammadan though, I'm glad I'm not a muslim - I'm nearly passing out if I reach midday without food, and wouldn't think I'd be fit to drive. I'm not anti-islam (no more so than any other religion anyway), just pro-scran.

How does it work with Spurs then?

[Goataldo]

Shalom!

Saturday is the Jewish sabbath - i'm no religous expert, but they're not supposed to work or do anything much on a Saturday as far as I know. Might explain West Ham's form.

Avram Grant and Don't Tell Ben Haim or whatever his name is missed a game a bit back cos of Yom Kippur or summat.

Anyone who thinks I don;t do my research is dead right btw, so correct me if I'm wrong.

On the subject of Rammadan though, I'm glad I'm not a muslim - I'm nearly passing out if I reach midday without food, and wouldn't think I'd be fit to drive. I'm not anti-islam (no more so than any other religion anyway), just pro-scran.

How does it work with Spurs then?

Dunno mate. Next question?

[Dameerto]

Spurs make up for any lack of whatever with an overconsumption of jellied eels. And barrowed fruit (for health reasons). It works for Bale.

[CityGer]

Don't think there is a ruling about eating on Saturdays. Played cricket with a few devout Muslims and they filled their boots at lunch. They weren't mad on the pork pies and BLT's, mind.

[dazby]

So what you're telling me is that there is only an issue during Ramadan.

Thanks.

[Fish111]

My cousin in Burnely gave a little kid from a few doors up a Gregs sausage roll whilst he was playing with my cousins kid and off home he went chomping blissfully on it. Turns out this kid was a muslim and his dad went ballistic, they never saw him again. Don't know what day it was though or whether he played football.

[john@staustell]

Ah, what a subject. The answer basically is "each to his own".

One of the basic theories is that if you are good in this world then you can have all the wine and virgins you want in the next - it's how you interpret 'good' that matters.

But both Christianity and Islam have had fundamentalists over the years, and fundamentalists make the most noise. People of both religions - which have the same roots of course - do what they want.

[dazby]

John my question was a probe on player performance as a result of their religion. I would hate to have to play sport during Ramadan . In the past players have boycotted games scheduled on sunday due to it being a day of rest.

[Dubaimancityfan]

Muslims have no special preparations for Saturday as it is a normal day for them. Someone already mentioned Saturday is the Sabbath for Jews so, no issue here for Muslims. The holy day for Muslims is Friday but they do not fast as it is only the end of the week and they go to religious services, like Sunday for Christians really. Footbal is played on Fridays normally.


Muslims only fast during daylight hours in the month of Ramadan which is 30 days a year and next one will fall in early August 2011 so some of our players (Kolo and Yaya, Ibrahim) will be affected for 2 weeks of new season. That is if they actually fast.
There are provisions in Islam that allows people to break fast under certain circumstances and compensate for it by fasting another day after Ramadan. For instance if you are travelling (away games) which is considered a hardship, then you can break fast and compensate for it.
In the Arab and Muslim world, football in Ramadan is played at night always (at least 2-3 hours after breaking fast) so its never an issue if players are fasting. But of course this cannot happen in Europe.

Having mentioned Yaya, I thought I'd give you some insight about his name. Yaya comes from the Arabic name Yahya which is the name of John the Baptist (a recognised Prophet in Islam) in the Quran, the Muslim holy book. That means that Yaya's English name is John. Since we've never found a nickname for Yaya, maybe we can start calling him John or Johnny !!
Kolo's full name is Habib Kolo Toure. Habib in Arabic means Loved One but I don't think there is a good English alternative for it.