Egyptian preacher's fatwa against bodybuilding stirs controversy
After Egyptian bodybuilder Big Ramy won the Mr. Olympia 2021 championship, cleric Abdullah Rushdy issued a fatwa prohibiting men from participating in the sport because it reveals intimate parts of the body.
CAIRO — Egyptian preacher Abdullah Rushdy has issued a fatwa prohibiting men from participating in bodybuilding competitions and showing “awrah,” the intimate parts of the human body as defined in Islam.
The fatwa came after Egyptian bodybuilder Mamdouh "Big Ramy" Elssbiay won the Mr. Olympia 2021 bodybuilding championship held in Orlando, Florida, on Oct. 10. This was Big Ramy’s second win in a row at the most prominent bodybuilding championship in the world.
