By
Dina Rashed, IOL Chicago correspondent
CHICAGO,
November 4 (IslamOnline) - The majority of Muslim Americans will begin
their first day of fasting on Wednesday, November 6, following their
regional astronomical calculations.
The
Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), one of the biggest Islamic
organizations in the U.S. and Canada, has announced that it will
follow scientific calculations to announce to Muslim Americans the
first day of the month.
“A
confirmed crescent sighting report in North America will be accepted
as long as such a report does not contradict indisputable astronomical
information,” announced ISNA.
According
to the scientific calculations and sightings, the crescent will not be
old enough to be seen on the Monday evening, rather it is expected
that on Tueday evening, November 5, the moon will be about
28-hours-old which then mandates that the first day of fasting for
North American Muslims be Wednesday.
In
Chicago, the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, a
federation of Islamic centers and schools, announced that it is
adopting ISNA’s position to follow scientific measures in observing
the beginning of the month. Most Islamic centers and Mosques in
Chicago have announced that they will follow suit.
In
the West Coast, the Islamic Center of Southern California has
announced to the Muslim community that the first day of Ramadan will
be Wednesday, as well.
ISNA
has declared that it is prepared to receive moon sighting reports on
the evening of December 4, to announce the beginning of Eid-Ul-Adha,
yet mentioned that according to the scientific astronomical sightings
and calculations of the position of the moon in North America, the
first day of Eid is expected to be observed on Friday, December 6,
2002.
Until
recently, many Muslim ethnic minorities in the U.S. and Canada used to
follow the observation of the Ramadan crescent as decided by their
countries of origin, instead of following one unified American moon
sighting.
ISNA’s
decision is based on close consultation with the Fiqh Council of North
America in adopting the position of the Shura Council of North
America.
Their
decision to follow scientific sightings came almost two years ago,
after much debate on the right of Muslims in North America to observe
the moon sighting other than simply follow other countries of the
world, namely, Saudi Arabia, which is not located geographically with
North America in the same region of the globe.
