CAIRO, November 12 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Some Arab countries and Muslim communities across the world declared Friday, November 12, the last day of Ramadan, meaning Saturday, November 13, is the first day of `Eid Al-Fitr holiday.

Other countries, however, declared Saturday to be the last day of the holy month, marking Sunday, November 14, to be `Eid Al-Fitr.

Nigerian northern states, however, marked `Eid Al-Fitr Friday, November 12, while southern states were to mark it Saturday.

Saudi Arabia made the declaration Friday evening that Saturday would be Eid Al-Fitr, contradicting earlier reports that it would be Sunday, citing astronomers.

The declaration was made by Saudi Minister of media affairs, according to Al-Jazeera.

Saudi astronomer Khalid bin Salih Al-Za'aq, general manager of the Breida city's Observatory, has told IslamOnline.net Thursday that “it would be hard to sight the crescent Friday as the moon would go down before the sun.”

“Therefore, the first day of `Eid Al-Fitr will fall on Sunday.”

Other Gulf Arab states have also copied the Saudi official declaration Friday, making Saturday to mark `Eid Al-Fitr.

The same case applies to British Muslims that also follow the Saudis’ mark.

In Libya , Friday has already marked the final day of Ramadan, as Libyans started fasting a day earlier than all other Arab countries. So, Saturday marked `Eid Al-Fitr in Libya .

Sudan also declared `Eid Al-Fitr to fall on Saturday.

In the Palestinian territories, announcing the citing of Shawwal moon late Friday, Sheikh Ekrima Sabri sent his best wishes to Palestinian Muslims for the three-day feast in a statement broadcast by Voice of Palestine radio.

`Eid Al-Fitr comes this year only one day after the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's burial in Ramallah.

`Eid Al-Fitr Sunday

Egypt’s Mufti Ali Gomaa, meanwhile, declared Friday that Saturday would still be the last day of the holy month of fasting, adding `Eid Al-Fitr would be Sunday, November 14.

Yemen followed Egypt ’s suit, declaring the major Islamic festival to fall on Sunday.

Syria , Lebanon and Jordan also declared Sunday to mark `Eid Al-Fitr festivities, according to both countries’ official news agencies Friday.

In Malaysia , South-east Asia , `Eid Al-Fitr also falls on Sunday, according to the official news agency Bernama.

Russian Muslims will also break their fast and celebrate `Eid Al-Fitr the same day along with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan .

From Asia to Europe where the Muslim Council for Crescents, affiliated to the Higher Council for Muslims in Germany and the European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR), declared it was impossible to sight Shawwal crescent Friday, making Saturday to be the last day of Ramadan.

That means that `Eid Al-Fitr will fall on Sunday for Muslims in Germany .

Moon sighting is supposed to determine Arab lunar months. It has always been a controversial issue among Muslim countries, and even scholars seem at odds over the issue.

While one group of scholars believes Muslims in other regions and countries are to follow this sighting as long as these countries share one part of the night, another states that Muslims everywhere should abide by the lunar calendar of Saudi Arabia .

A third, however, disputes both views, arguing that Islam is against division and disunity, since Muslims, for instance, are not allowed to hold two congregational prayers in one mosque at the same time.

This group believes that the authority in charge of ascertaining the sighting of the moon in a given country (such as Egypt 's Dar al-Iftaa [House of Fatwa]) announces the sighting of the new moon, then Muslims in the country should all abide by this.