The crescent cannot be sighted on September 22.

LONDON — The Islamic Crescent Observation Project (ICOP) has said that the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan will astronomically fall on September 24.

"The first day of Ramadan cannot be Saturday, September 23, as the moon will not be present in the sky after the sunset on Friday, September 22," ICOP Head Mohammad Odeh said in a statement cited by the London-based Al-Quds Press news agency.

"Thus, the first day of Ramadan cannot be Saturday whether in countries that depend on moon sighting to determine the beginning of the month or in those which start fasting if the crescent was born even if not seen," he added.

Odeh said the crescent can be sighted on Saturday by an observatory from South East Asia, the Middle East, North and Central Africa and North America.

He added that the crescent can be observed by the naked eye in far parts in southern Africa and South America.

"Countries that will not be able to sight the crescent on September 23 will start fasting on Monday, September 25," Odeh said.

The ICOP, established in 1998 as a global project, primary aims to gather information about the crescent observations at the start of each lunar month in different countries and regions across the world.

Its membership has expanded over the years to include now up to 300 astronomers and scientists.

Conference

The ICOP, in cooperation with the Emirates Astronomical Society and the Center for Documentation and Research, will organize on December 13-14 in Dubai a conference on divisions in moon sighting and false starts in some countries due to miscalculation.

Moon sighting has always been a controversial issue among Muslim countries, and even scholars seem at odds over the issue.

One group says that Muslims everywhere should abide by the lunar calendar of Saudi Arabia.

A second, however, 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.

During Ramadan, adult Muslims, save the sick and those traveling, abstain during daylight hours from food, drink, smoking and sex.