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Rabat – Unlike English football leagues, France’s Football Federation (FFF) has refused to pause evening matches during the holy month of Ramadan to allow Muslim players to break their fast, saying that it is due to the principle of “football neutrality at the places of practice.”
In an email sent to French football officials, FFF’s Federal Commission of Referees (CFA) has forbidden any match “interruptions” to allow Muslim footballers to break their fast, saying that “these interruptions do not respect the provisions of the Statutes of the FFF.”
The federation and its bodies “defend the fundamental values of the French Republic and must implement means to prevent any discrimination or infringement of a person’s dignity due to their … political and religious beliefs,” said the email, stressing that the FFF prohibits any “display of a political, ideological, religious, or trade union” affiliation during its tournaments.
“A football field, a stadium, a gymnasium, are not places of political or religious expression, they are places of neutrality where the values of sport, such as equality, fraternity, impartiality, learning to respect the referee, oneself and others, must prevail,” the email added.
The federation warned that failure to comply with these instructions will subject the violator to “disciplinary and/or criminal proceedings.” The email concluded by calling on all football officials to ensure that these provisions are respected.
The FFF has received widespread criticism for its decision, with many taking to social media to denounce the federation’s dismissal of Muslim players’ religious obligations and physical well-being.
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“The French football federation has once again shown its incompetence. Several countries have prepared real arrangements to respect religious people, there was plenty of room to do the minimum,” said a commenter on Twitter.
Many compared France and England’s different approaches in regard to football matches taking place during the holy month of Ramadan. Earlier this month, both the Premier League (England’s top-tier football league) and the English Football League Championship (EFL) urged referees to pause matches to allow Muslim players to break their fast.
“Match officials have now been issued with guidance from refereeing bodies to allow for a natural pause in play and enable players to break their fast by taking on liquids or energy gels or supplements,” Sky Sports News reported.
Prior to the FFF’s decision to not pause matches for Muslims to break their fast, France’s national team had urged its Muslim players to postpone fasting until the end of Les Bleus’ Ramadan matches.
“The French staff will not force anyone not to follow their faith, but Les Bleus’ staff has still given recommendations in the hope that the players will choose to postpone fasting for five days during the team’s Ramadan matches,” French sports outlet L’Equipe reported.
Football fans, especially Muslims, expressed their dissatisfaction with the French team’s “recommendations,” describing them as unreasonable and unacceptable.
“Ramadan does not work like that, shame on the FFF,” said a Twitter user.
During Ramadan, adult, able-bodied Muslims are required to abstain from food and drinks from dusk till dawn. In addition to age (children and the elderly), circumstances that exempt Muslims from fasting during the holy month include illness and long-distance travels.
