A well-organized Iftar event was conducted at Anfield Stadium on Sunday by the Islam Relief Organization and Liverpool Football Club where 3,000 people attended the event during Ramadan.
It was a message of harmony, brotherhood, and respect for other religions that also propagated a sense of acceptance among diverse communities with different belief systems.
Liverpool Football Club disseminated a message that modern societies can live together in harmony keeping the essence of secularism intact while providing a platform to the minorities to practice their cultural and religious traditional norms.
Azaan (Call for prayer) at Anfield was symbolic of the fact that the UK government is making space for its Muslim football players and the community that lives in the country and it was a complete contrast to the way the French government treats muslims during Ramadan.
Recently, the French Football Federation released a statement that special arrangements will not be made for Muslim players in the French league (Ligue 1) to break their fast during the month of Ramadan.
FFF’s constitution clearly states that such acts harm the principle of secularism and neutrality while proliferating propaganda at the same time.
On the other hand, the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands have facilitated the Muslim players who are fasting during the month of Ramadan and there are special breaks for them during the time of sunset so that they can break their fast.
Muslim football players were also not allowed to break their fast during France’s training camp in the international FIFA window which resulted in a rebellion from one Lyon midfielder, Mahamadou Diawara refusing to join the training camp of the French under-19 squad when he got to know about the rules.