News

By Fawaz Mohammad, IOL Correspondent

RIYADH, February 9 (IslamOnline.net) – Saudi Arabia is to host the first Pan-Islamic games April 8-20, with organizers declaring Christian athletes of Muslim countries can take part in the first Islamic sports’ event, to be held under the title “Islam is Peace”.

"Christian athletes will be allowed to take part in the Pan-Islamic Games, a step demonstrating the merciful Islamic tenets,” a source at the Islamic Solidarity Games Tournament told IslamOnline.net.

The decision to hold the Games in Saudi Arabia in 2005 was taken by the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) during its meeting in Bamako, Mali, in June 2001, under the title “Islamic Solidarity Games”.

No conditions were set on the participation of non-Muslim athletes in the games, though the competition is primarily held among Muslim countries, the source said.

It added that playgrounds were already named outside the Saudi sacred places, as non-Muslims are not allowed inside sacred places.

The Islamic games are due to be hosted by the Saudi cities of Makkah, Taif, Madinah and Jeddah.

The competitions include athletics, swimming, diving, water ball, swordplay, tennis, table tennis, weightlifting, indoor football for the mentally-handicapped, basketball, volleyball, handball, taekwondo, karate, and horsemanship.

Islamic Participation

Some 53 Muslim countries have already agreed to participate in the games with only Albania, Togo and Uzbekistan to be absent from the event. Some 6,380 athletes are expected to take part.

President of the Saudi Youth Welfare and head of the Higher Organizing Committee, Prince Sultan bin Fahd bin Abdul Aziz, expected the number of athletes taking part in the event to reach 8,000.

Expressing his happiness Saudi Arabia is to host such a unique event, Prince Sultan said the Islamic event is sought to be a real field for serious competitions.

Saudi Sports Unions have sought some 48 million rials ($13 million) to provide necessary equipments for the event, to make it on the level of world events.

Heads of sports missions of the countries expected to take part in the event arrived in Jeddah Sunday, February 6, to draw lots of the collective games.

High Hopes

High hopes are pinned on the event to help enhance solidarity ties among OIC member states and highlight the Islamic sports presence on the world arena.

“first-class teams will take part in the tournament in order to promote the technical benefits for all participating Islamic countries,” Prince Sultan said.

Similar hopes were echoed by Secretary General of the Bahrain Olympic Committee, Sheikh Abdul Rahman bin Rashid Al-Khalifa.

“The Islamic Solidarity Games Tournament is the biggest sports event that brings together Muslim athletes from all around the world,” he said.

“The event is also a chance to highlight the meanings of Islamic brotherhood in such a sporting competition,” he added.