Islam and the Exotification of the World Cup

This Is Soccer, Not a Religious Debate

Islam has a tendency to be exoticized in the West: the observance of Ramadan, in addition to how Muslims pray and what Muslim women wear, are some of the more common issues that evoke this kind of a reaction. That is part of why I refuse to discuss who is and who is not fasting during the World Cup. In Islam, there is no priest or religious figure in between oneself and God. Thus, the emphasis in the religion, and the observance of it, is on a connection between the individual and God. Algeria’s coach highlighted this point when he reminded the media that the fasting during Ramadan is a private issue, and is therefore no one’s business but the individual player.