São Paulo – Muslims travelling to Brazil for the FIFA World Cup will have an additional welcome treat, apart from the country’s warm hospitality. The Federation of Muslim Associations in Brazil (Fambras) has devised a guide for them, plus a mobile application and a landline to help them with directions and tips on how to observe the rules of their religion during the tournament.
According to information released by Fambras and the Brazilian Ministry of Tourism, out of 32 national teams playing the World Cup, six are from countries where Islam is significantly present. They are Algeria, Bosnia, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Iran. “In some of these countries, like Iran, football is a national passion, similar to Brazil,” says Fambras vice president Ali Zoghbi. In addition to fans from these countries, people from Muslim countries which are not playing the Cup should also attend.
The guide, is written in English and titled Guide Muslim Fan – Salam Brazil – World Cup 2014, is already available for download on the association’s website. There will be a print version as well. The guide is succinct and practical. It contains information on Islamism in Brazil, the prayer hours in the time zones of each host city, basic information on the host cities, their mosques, the matches they will host, the consulates and embassies from Muslim countries and the history of the World Cups.
The app for smartphones will bring the same information as the guide alongside other tools, such as a compass to show fans where Mecca is located, since they need to pray facing the city. There will be a 12-hour-a-day phone service available on 0800 718 6245, during the days of the World Cup, from 8am to 8pm, in English, Arabic, Spanish and French. For the remainder of the day, an answering machine is programmed, and will be checked on an hour-to-hour basis so calls can be returned in case of urgent messages, according to Zoghbi. Besides, the Fambras intends to send a team to visit the Muslim countries delegations and help them if need be.
According to the Fambras vice president, the federation has worked to spread knowledge about Islam among the general public for some time now. “We have set a few parameters to dispel prejudice and ignorance as to what Islam really is”, says Zoghbi. When Brazil was chosen to host the World Cup, Fambras decided that it would be a good opportunity to proceed with the work and help government organizations support the Muslims during the tournament.
Service:
Guide Muslim Fan – Salam Brazil – World Cup 2014: http://www.fambras.org.br/Content/image_app/images/FanGuidePDF.pdf
Telephone service for Muslims during the World Cup: 0800 718 6245
App for smartphones: coming soon
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum and Rodrigo Mendonça
Comments