11 Plus Exams Forum

A short message to wish all Muslim brothers and sisters a successful and prosperous Ramadan month this year. With no eating/drinking between 0300 and 2130 in the UK, it surely is one of the more tougher tests this year. JZK

Ramadan Mubarak to you too, I hope everyone has a productive month.

Ramadhan Mubarak to all the Muslim brothers and sisters!

Hi,

We had a bit of a problem yesterday with a dehydrated athlete at an event...not too great on day 1!
What is the official stance on this, obviously we don't want people to break Ramadan if it is important to them, but we don't want them to be ill either, particularly if their parents are not around to guide.

Help please, as a mum who helps out at lots of sporting events I want to help them do as they wish, but obviously do not like seeing kids with blinding headaches, feeling very dizzy and weak either!

Horses for courses and common sense really; can't sanction for idiocy.

In our house, religious observence comes before anything else. If that means DS has to miss sporting events, then so be it. Also there is an age after which fasting is compulsory for all Muslim adults who are healthy.

Not fasting because of sport duties is not allowed.

sbarnes wrote:Horses for courses and common sense really; can't sanction for idiocy.

In our house, religious observence comes before anything else. If that means DS has to miss sporting events, then so be it. Also there is an age after which fasting is compulsory for all Muslim adults who are healthy.

Not fasting because of sport duties is not allowed.

On that basis then, how would you advise we guide unaccompanied teenagers, who are already at events and pushing themselves really hard amongst non fasting peers?
This is the first year I have been helping out with kids that are maybe post puberty, also in fairness probably the first year they have not been able to drink water, so are unaware of their own bodies and yesterday the child obviously pushed too hard.

General advice I think; if they feel unwell stop immediately and take a time out etc...

In my experience of teaching children from many religious backgrounds, including Jehovah's Witnesses and Plymouth Brethren, as well as fasting Muslims, most parents are very understanding if they see you have only tried to do the best for a child, even if you have then unknowingly and in good faith transgressed a particular religious rule. I think if I were in this position I would ask the child itself if help was required, and then alert a parent as soon as I could to the situation, warning that maybe the child may become dehydrated. If things are approached sensitively, not many people would take offence, surely?

I think it's unfair of parents of fasting children to put others in that situation tbh, and I say this as a Muslim. If your child is fasting and taking part in sport, you cannot get upset if another adult in charge decides that your child needs something that will break that fast. If it's that important, the parent needs to be there so that they can take responsibility for their fasting child.

From medical point of view, I don't think it would be advisable to go out for running or playing football etc while keeping fast from 3 am to nearly 10 pm. So such children should not be allowed on sports field for heavy routine or long time.

Best wishes to moslems for Ramadhan. Our local Tesco had a good samoosa counter today.