Muslim Olympians wrestle with Ramadan dilemma

[cbayer]

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/07/22/muslim-olympians-wrestle-with-ramadan-dilemma/

By Richard Allen Greene and Aroub Abdelhaq, CNN

London (CNN)– Olympic judo competitor Hemeed Al Drie plans to sin during the Games in London, he admits with a grin.

"God is merciful and compassionate, even when our sins are many," said Al Drie, kneeling on a mat while martial artists hurled each other to the floor around him.

Al Drie's sin isn't what you might expect. It's that he is planning to eat and drink while the sun is up during the Olympics, even thought the Games fall smack in the middle of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Observant Muslims are supposed to fast during Ramadan, abstaining from all food and drink, even water, during daylight hours, then eating and drinking after sundown. Fasting for the month is a major religious obligation, one of the Five Pillars of Islam.


more at link

[skepticscott]

1. But as usual

exceptions can be devised for expediency's sake, among people who don't have THAT much faith in god, or who are only willing to be "observant" if it doesn't interfere TOO much with their real lives. That's what they pay theologians and their ilk for.

[rexcat]

2. The whole concept of sin

is rather silly but a major concept in the three Abrahamic religions as are mopst of the religious laws put forth by all of them.