Premier League Clubs Sign Up To Muslim Athletes’ Charter
The Premier League is signing up for a new Muslim Athletes’ Charter, a game-changing, first of its kind initiative that will support Muslim sportsmen and women within their field of work.
BBC Sport reports that the official launch of the charter is on Saturday 3 July. It was devised by Ebadur Rahman, formerly of The FA and founder and chief executive of Nujum Sports.
The charter aims to challenge organisations to make progress in supporting Muslim sportsmen and women, and signatories will pledge to ‘create positive change’ for the second-largest faith community and the fastest-growing faith in the UK.
There are ten points contained within the charter, such as non-consumption of alcohol, including during celebrations, the provision of appropriate places to pray, halal food, and being allowed to fast in Ramadan.
Across the top four leagues of English football, from first teams to academies, there are currently 250 Muslim players, including Manchester United’s Paul Pogba, Liverpool duo Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, and Chelsea’s Champions League-winning N’Golo Kante and Antonio Rudiger among the highest-profile Muslim players in the Premier League.
Five Premier League clubs and a further 15 from the EFL have pledged to support the charter, with Kick it Out and the Football Supporters’ Association also giving their backing to the groundbreaking initiative.
Rahman told BBC Sport: “Having worked in sport, I am well aware of the difficulties being able to practice my religion. After speaking extensively to athletes and clubs, we felt it was the right time to have a Muslim athlete charter in place in the UK.”
He added that the charter is the first and only one of its kind, and signatories will be joining a positive movement of solidarity, equality, and recognition of the contribution Muslims make at the respective clubs and teams.
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