Premier League footballer Romain Saiss describes Ramadan as the best time to ask God for forgiveness for mistakes and to spend time with family.
The French-Moroccan player was asked in an interview with BBC3 to explain the holy month to people who might not understand what it was.
Saiss is fasting for Ramadan but says that he never adjusts his training schedule or attitude – even if, as the presenter RamboFYI suggested, he has to deal with the England and Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford running at him.
“Whatever the day, you have to take it as a normal day because if you start thinking, for example, that tomorrow I have a big training session and I’m fasting, it will be harder," he said on the BBC’s online MOTDx Sports programme.
"Mentally, you will go down. So, the point is to keep the same mentality."
The Wolverhampton Wanderers defender added that not everyone who observed the religious custom of abstaining from food and water during daylight hours approached it in the same way.
“Some people sleep all day," the 31-year-old said, laughing. "We are all different. It’s only between you and God.”
Saiss, who is also captain of the Moroccan national team, mentioned that the odd tempting cake or doughnut had been brought in to celebrate teammate birthdays, such as that of Leander Dendoncker this week.
He added, though, that he would never ask anyone to change things just for him. “So, he [Dendoncker] brought cakes but obviously I am not going to say to them: ‘Hey, don’t eat in front of me.’
"They respect me, I have to respect them.”
Other Muslim footballers who have publicly observed Ramadan include Liverpool players Mo Salah and Sadio Mane, and Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema.
More on Ramadan
Ramadan 2021: Where to find the best new car deals
Ramadan 2021 in the UK: All you need to know
Global charity challenge aims to keep Muslims active during Ramadan
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Champions parade (UAE timings)
7pm Gates open
8pm Deansgate stage showing starts
9pm Parade starts at Manchester Cathedral
9.45pm Parade ends at Peter Street
10pm City players on stage
11pm event ends
Trolls World Tour
Directed by: Walt Dohrn, David Smith
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake
Rating: 4 stars
Basquiat in Abu Dhabi
One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
The latter museum is not open physically, but has assembled a collection and puts together a series of events called Talking Art, such as this discussion, moderated by writer Chaedria LaBouvier.
It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.
“We’ve invited local resident arists, we’ll have spray cans at the ready,” says curator Maisa Al Qassemi of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October
Oppenheimer
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
SPECS
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
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Afro%20salons
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Dhadak
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
Stars: 3
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
