Iran demands FIFA lifts Olympic games football hijab ban
 

Iran has demanded that Fifa overturn a ban on its girls football team from the Youth Olympic games after the team was kicked out for wearing Islamic scarves that contravene international rules.

Iran's national Olympic committee had called on Fifa, football's world governing body, and the International Olympic Committee to review the ban on the hijab.

The hijab is worn women beyond the age of puberty to observe Islamic rules on modesty and interaction of the sexes.
 

"We have asked the heads of these international sports organisations to review and annul Fifa's decision," Bahram Afsharzadeh, the Iranian Olympic committee secretary general said. "Hijab is related to the Islamic culture and Muslim women can't take part in social activities without it."

The inaugural Youth Olympic games will be held from August 14 to 26 in Singapore and Thailand was nominated on Monday to replace the barred Iranians.

Jerome Valcke, the Fifa secretary general, rejected the Iranian Olympic panel's request in a letter to the national football federation.

"Taking into consideration the clear position stated by the (Olympic committee) of Iran, the Fifa Executive Committee had no choice but to take the decision that (Iran) will not be able to participate," said Mr Valcke.

Fifa maintains football's international rule book which contains a section on players' on-field equipment.

Law 4 states that "basic compulsory equipment must not have any political, religious or personal statements.

"The team of a player whose basic compulsory equipment has political, religious or personal slogans or statements will be sanctioned by the competition organiser or by Fifa."

The hijab issue was first examined in 2007 after an 11-year-old girl in Canada was prevented from wearing one for safety reasons.

Iran was scheduled to compete in a six-nation tournament for girls at the inaugural Youth Olympics against Turkey, Equatorial Guinea, Trinidad and Tobago, Chile and Papua New Guinea.

Around 3,600 athletes aged 14-18 will compete in 26 sports.

Ali Kafashian, president of Iran's Football Federation, said the Iranian women team will participate in the competitions only if they are allowed to observe the Islamic dress code.

A spokesman for the International Olympic Comittee said: "In accordance with the Olympic Charter, the International Federations (IFs) are responsible for establishing the technical criteria of their sports and ensuring their application. The decision by FIFA (the IF) is in line with the rules of the game, which have been communicated by the IF to the Iranian NOC."
 

Source: The Telegraph

AFIC RESPONSE

What has Britain come to when it takes a Muslim like me to defend Christianity?
Dr Taj Hargey, Chairman of the Muslim Educational Centre of Oxford
 

Christianity is under siege in this country.

Britain's national religion has never been so marginalised and derided, especially by the public institutions that should be defending it.

The case of nurse Shirley Chaplin, who has been banned by Devon and Exeter NHS Trust from wearing her crucifix while caring for patients, is a graphic illustration of this insidious trend.

Indeed, it is surely an affront to the very concept of religious liberty, which was once regarded as a cornerstone of our democratic, respectful and tolerant nation.

For make no mistake, a new form of virulent secularism is sweeping through society - and its target is Christianity.

I am Muslim. But even as a non-Christian, I can see all too clearly the shameful way in which Britain's national faith is being eroded. Indeed, banning a crucifix makes a mockery of our treasured right to religious freedom.
  

Mail Online

Obama Bans Islam, Jihad From National Security Strategy Document
 

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama's advisers will remove religious terms such as "Islamic extremism" from the central document outlining the U.S. national security strategy and will use the rewritten document to emphasize that the United States does not view Muslim nations through the lens of terror, counterterrorism officials said.

The change is a significant shift in the National Security Strategy, a document that previously outlined the Bush Doctrine of preventative war and currently states: "The struggle against militant Islamic radicalism is the great ideological conflict of the early years of the 21st century."

The officials described the changes on condition of anonymity because the document still was being written, and the White House would not discuss it. But rewriting the strategy document will be the latest example of Obama putting his stamp on U.S. foreign policy, like his promises to dismantle nuclear weapons and limit the situations in which they can be used.

The revisions are part of a larger effort about which the White House talks openly, one that seeks to change not just how the United States talks to Muslim nations, but also what it talks to them about, from health care and science to business startups and education.

That shift away from terrorism has been building for a year, since Obama went to Cairo, Egypt, and promised a "new beginning" in the relationship between the United States and the Muslim world. The White House believes the previous administration based that relationship entirely on fighting terror and winning the war of ideas.
 

"You take a country where the overwhelming majority are not going to become terrorists, and you go in and say, 'We're building you a hospital so you don't become terrorists.' That doesn't make much sense," said National Security Council staffer Pradeep Ramamurthy.

Ramamurthy runs the administration's Global Engagement Directorate, a four-person National Security Council team that Obama launched last May with little fanfare and a vague mission to use diplomacy and outreach "in pursuit of a host of national security objectives."
  

Fox News

WEEK 2 of our 6-week training program:

Please note that the following program is suitable for beginners. For the more competitive or serious athlete, intensity, duration and frequency of exercises need to be increased!

REMEMBER: NUTRITION IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS YOUR TRAINING REGIME. ENJOY A HEALTHY DIET AND DON'T FORGET TO DRINK YOUR WATER!

DAY 1:
Walk for a minimum of 45mins. (10 mins. at a moderate pace, 30 mins. at a more brisk pace and 5 mins. cool down / slow pace).
PLEASE REMEMBER TO STRETCH AFTER EVERY WORKOUT!
Healthy Tip: Always keep your body hydrated - carry a bottle of water with you daily!

DAY 2:
Similar to day 1. Increase your walking time by 5 mins. or more if you feel comfortable and include some hills as part of your course. Try challenging yourself with some mini-drills along the course, eg. stop and do some step-ups on the curb, or tricep-dips on a park bench, etc.

DAY 3:
Weight training - slowly increase the weight you lift every week or
increase the number of reps you do. Remember that your own body is a great tool when it comes to strength and resistance training (push-ups, tricep-dips, etc).
Training Tip: Ensure good posture and technique.

DAY 4:
Make today more about soothing and relaxing your muscles. Do some laps in the pool. If you're not comfortable swimming, hop in anyway and walk/run from one end to the other. Don't be fooled by how easy it looks, this is still a great workout and your muscles will love you for it!

DAY 5:
Lets get strong while toning our muscles - back to weight training (see day 3).

DAY 6:
Take on a more challenging walking course (steeper hills, etc.). Always challenge yourself. Listen to your body - QUALITY rather than QUANTITY!
Tip: Find a walking / running buddy so you can motivate and challenge each other!

DAY 7:
If you worked as hard as I hope you did, you deserve a rest, recover and get ready for week 3!