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Michigan high school football team practicing at night; Accomodates Muslim players during Ramadan
ESPN.com ^ | August 16, 2010 | espn.com news services

Posted on 08/16/2010 7:07:16 AM PDT by Abin Sur

DEARBORN, Mich. -- A Michigan high school football team is holding preseason practices in the middle of the night to help its Muslim players practice both faith and football.

The predominantly Muslim squad from Dearborn says the nocturnal regimen is a way for players to eat and drink while observing the holy month of daytime fasting known as Ramadan that started last week. The August heat also played a factor in Fordson High coach Fouad Zaban's proposal to reverse the clock for a week of two-a-day practices.

Cutting practice wasn't an option at football-crazy Fordson, which is coming off a one-loss season and has won four state titles and three runner-up seasons since it was established in 1928.

But nobody wanted to lessen the significance of Ramadan in the Detroit suburb widely known as the capital of Arab-America.

The moonlight practice is tailored for Adnan Restum and fellow Muslim teammates.

Illuminated by the night lights on the football field, Restum recently joined a scrum of teammates at the end-zone water fountain, taking a break from a grueling preseason football workout to guzzle a drink.

In just a few hours, he wouldn't be able to take a sip. But the 17-year-old defensive tackle could rehydrate guilt-free during the 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. practice, and succumb to tempting boxes full of granola bars and chocolate milk, too.

"It feels really great," said Restum, who has been fasting since he was about 10. "If we're doing it during the day, we wouldn't have water and it would be really hot and everything."

Zaban proposed the late practices after realizing the rotating Ramadan would fall squarely during the start of a two-a-day practice schedule that launches football season.

(Excerpt) Read more at sports.espn.go.com ...


TOPICS: Religion; Society
KEYWORDS: aclumia; boycottdisney; dearborne; dearbornistan; espn; espndisneynews; islam; islamicimperialism; mosqueandstate; pravdamedia; ramadan
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1 posted on 08/16/2010 7:07:19 AM PDT by Abin Sur
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To: Abin Sur

Whatever happened to separation of church and state and no religion in the schools?


2 posted on 08/16/2010 7:09:36 AM PDT by oldbill
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To: oldbill

That only applies to you and me.....


3 posted on 08/16/2010 7:10:55 AM PDT by ButThreeLeftsDo (Molon Labe.)
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To: Abin Sur; MattinNJ
the 17-year-old defensive tackle could rehydrate

They can't play any of the "skill" positions, because they're not allowed to touch the "pig skin".

4 posted on 08/16/2010 7:11:44 AM PDT by End Times Sentinel (In Memory of my Dear Friend Henry Lee II)
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To: Abin Sur
Working it out meant getting the approval of school and district administrators and the blessings of players, parents and police. Then, there were the residents in the surrounding neighborhood, who would hear more noise and see the illuminated field. So he sent letters explaining the decision.

Screw 'em all. This is sickening.

5 posted on 08/16/2010 7:16:30 AM PDT by ladyvet (WOLVERINES!!!!!)
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To: Abin Sur

It’s Dearbornistan. What could you expect?


6 posted on 08/16/2010 7:17:31 AM PDT by DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis
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To: oldbill

Dearborn is a Muslim sewer that badly needs to be cleaned out.


7 posted on 08/16/2010 7:19:15 AM PDT by thethirddegree
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To: Abin Sur

The girls swimming team?
Will they have to practice and compete wearing Burkinis?


8 posted on 08/16/2010 7:21:03 AM PDT by pennboricua
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To: Abin Sur

Would they do this for Christians or any other religion?


9 posted on 08/16/2010 7:21:42 AM PDT by cranked
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To: cranked

What about Sunday practices for Christians?

Saturday games for Jews?


10 posted on 08/16/2010 7:25:57 AM PDT by earlJam
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To: Owl_Eagle

Can’t recover a fumble? What good is he?


11 posted on 08/16/2010 7:26:26 AM PDT by kanawa (Obama - "It's going to take a while for us to dig ourselves out of this hole.'')
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To: Abin Sur

Where in the friggin hell is the ACLU in this?


12 posted on 08/16/2010 7:34:48 AM PDT by Cyman
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To: Abin Sur

Many people only eat one meal a day and a good number only eat one large balanced meal every 2-3 days.

This is another reason why Islam is a counterfeit substitute for a relationship with God. It seeks to portray itself as holy in its appearance, but in substance it fails to address justice in righteousness.

So what if they only eat at night for a 40 day period? Not the same as fasting for 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness, or even fasting for 2 days and nights. IMHO, the more they clamor about Ramadan, the more debt they heap upon their own heads, because it is a false modesty and claim of obedience.


13 posted on 08/16/2010 7:35:31 AM PDT by Cvengr (Adversity in life and death is inevitable. Thru faith in Christ, stress is optional.)
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To: Abin Sur

At the time I went there U.S. Grant High in N.Hollywood Ca.if was a vast majority Jewish. Other High school football teams would look forward to olaying us cause let’s face it Jews push education. Football? Not so much.
Course other high schools didn’t care to show up for debates with us.
Got to wonder if other Highschool teams will look forward to trying to rip these guys heads off?


14 posted on 08/16/2010 7:36:36 AM PDT by Joe Boucher ((FUBO) Ya unAmerican p.o.s.)
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To: Cvengr

Another story for the Ramadadingdong folder.


15 posted on 08/16/2010 7:45:14 AM PDT by Mouton
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To: Abin Sur

Hey- They never had night basketball practice during Lent when I was fasting! Hey! wth going on here crap/?


16 posted on 08/16/2010 7:46:05 AM PDT by bunkerhill7
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To: Abin Sur
After hearing this, if I were a High School or College coach, I would double dog dare any court in the land to tell me that I couldn't say a Christian prayer with the team before the game! Tell the ACLU to go pound sand!

National Anthem, Star Spangle Banner, Pledge of Allegiance, give it the works!

17 posted on 08/16/2010 7:58:49 AM PDT by parthian shot
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To: Owl_Eagle
Ha. I couldn't touch the rock because I sucked.

True story. I played DT in Div 3. (Big, fat, white guy in the middle). I , quite by accident, ran into the other teams RB-hard. He coughed up the ball on our 2 yard line. I jumped on it. My friend-to this day-still breaks my chops because he ran in from his safety spot where he was about to scoop up the ball and go 98 yards to the house. There was literally no one between him and the end zone except me. It was quite clear on videotape.

Oops. My bad, Dog.

18 posted on 08/16/2010 8:56:40 AM PDT by MattinNJ (NJ's new slogan. Garrett and Christie. Perfect together.)
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To: Abin Sur

Thank goodness there are NO muslims in county, city, town or neighborhood!


19 posted on 08/16/2010 9:01:50 AM PDT by Pilated
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To: MattinNJ
scoop up the ball and go 98 yards to the house

D backs, they're almost as bad as wide recievers with their showboating.

Football 101: what do you do when there's a fumble? FALL! ON! THE! FOOTBALL!!!

20 posted on 08/16/2010 9:12:29 AM PDT by End Times Sentinel (In Memory of my Dear Friend Henry Lee II)
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