Should Muslims boycott the Olympics?

Should Muslims boycott the London 2012 Olympics?

To most people, the Olympics is seen as a celebration of sport, diversity and world culture. However, from an Islamic perspective, the Olympics is seen as an ancient pagan tradition that was held to honour the gods of ancient Greece. It is also considered evil (munkar) for the following reasons:

• The Olympics is not from Islam, and the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, “Whoever imitates a people, he is one of them.”
• The majority of athletes are inappropriately covered (dressed), during events such as athletics, boxing, diving, gymnastics, swimming, synchronised swimming, weightlifting and so forth. Islam strictly commands us to lower our gaze and not to mix with the opposite sex, except due to necessity while observing segregation, such as for medical treatment, in business transactions and while studying Islam.
• The Olympics encourages nationalism, which is clearly forbidden in Islam and is the cause of disunity, oppression and corruption. For example, thousands of displaced refugees die every year because they are turned away, denied aid and medical treatment by neighbouring countries for one reason only: their nationality. It is reported that the Prophet (pbuh) said, “He is not one of us who calls for nationalism, fights for nationalism and dies for nationalism,” and, “Allah has cursed the one who creates borders.”
• A number of participating countries are presently at war with Islam and are engaged in killing Muslims abroad, such as Great Britain, Israel, Myanmar (Burma), the United States, and their allies. It is forbidden for Muslims to be playing games with such nations.
• The Olympics also involves a number of other forbidden types of entertainment, such as live music, dancing and free-mixing — throughout the tournament and especially during the opening and closing ceremonies.
• A Muslim is obliged, as a condition of faith, to love and hate for the sake of Allah. Enjoying the games and participating in the Olympics are indications that one is pleased with the way of life of the unbelievers.

For the above reasons, the Olympics must undoubtedly be boycotted by Muslims.