Last week we facilitated a meeting between Muslim organisations and the organisers of the Commonwealth Games. Particularly fascinating for me was Gordon Arthur’s stated intention to engage the countries of the Commonwealth like never before.
He also said he hoped to use the excitement behind the games to get people to work together better than they had before, leaving a legacy of good relationships after they fold up in 2014.
Laudable objectives. That the meeting saw a cross section of Muslim organisations involved, showed the potential of the games to bring people together. There will of course be many other cross community and cross institutional relationships to explore in the years to come.
As well as helping make the games a success in the normal ways, there are of course some unique contributions to be made by Muslims too. Many of the participants and spectators will be Muslims. The games will take place during Ramadan which brings its own challenges and logistical considerations. We even briefly touched on the possibility that Islamic finance could be an option for funding the games at some point down the line.
The meeting was the beginning of the process. We intend to get people round the table regularly to discuss G2014 issues through a working group of interested parties, and to take forward the actions from this meeting. If you wish to be kept informed of future activities, please get in touch with the office with your details.
Posted by Osama Saeed
Amazing news. wish i was in glasgow