"It is indeed the spirit of Ramadan and `Eid that Muslims be united and celebrate these blessed occasions together," said Siddiqi.

WASHINGTON — Frustrated by disunity in determining the start of the holy fasting month of Ramadan and consequently `Eid Al-Fitr, Americans Muslims dream of the day they fast and celebrate together.

"I wish if I could live and see the day when American Muslims start fasting together and celebrate `Eid Al-Fitr," Mohammad Roweida, a Californian American Muslim who owns an Arabic food store, told IslmOnline.net.

"We have the same problem every Ramadan. Some mosques start fasting today, other mosques starts tomorrow or even two days after and others follow Saudi Arabia or Egypt," he added.

"I wish if all American Muslims at least in my city, could fast together and celebrate `Eid together."

The same plea was echoed by Ibtisam Al-Daif, a Californian mother of four.

"It doesn’t matter whether we follow the calculations or the moon sighting, I want American Muslims to be united in this matter," said a frustrated Al-Daif.

"I wish if all the mosques open their doors for the `Eid prayer in the same day because for our kids, they don’t understand why aren’t we united and why some mosques do not celebrate `Eid in the same day."

The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) decided to follow the Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA) which announced Saturday, September 23, as the first day of Ramadan based on astronomical calculations.

However, many Islamic organizations and centers still followed the crescent sighting and Saudi Arabia in determining the beginning of fasting. Others follow moon sighting in any country.

Disunited

Like every year, American Muslims were divided in starting Ramadan, as they would be in celebrating `Eid Al-Fitr.

Daif opted to follow the majority when starting her first day of fasting.

"I go with the people here. It depends on the majority," she said. "If they fast, I fast with them and if not, I also go with them."

Ruqaya Khan, a mother of two, fasted according to the directions of Tampa Mosque at San Fernando Valley, California.

"My mosque adopts the crescent sighting and as the sheikh there taught us, all Muslims should adopt the moon sighting."

For Maha Wahab, a Californian mother of three, American Muslims should follow the first mosque or organization that announces the beginning of Ramadan.

"I call all the mosques in my city on the night of moon sighting," she said.

"And I go with the mosque that first announces the beginning of fasting. I live at Woodland Hills, but I do not follow the closest mosque to my house because I hate to follow a particular mosque.

"It happened once that I saw the moon with my eyes and I told one of my friends to look at it to start fasting," said Wahab.

"She refused just because she is following a particular country or mosque and she wanted to go with it even if the crescent is there. I think Muslims should rather follow the first Muslim country that starts fasting," added the Los Angeles resident.

Others disagree and believe Muslims should follow Saudi Arabia in starting Ramadan, since Muslims follow the kingdom in other rituals.

"I believe all Muslims should follow Saudi Arabia in deciding the first day of fasting," said Adel Al-Gohari, an Egyptian-born American Muslim accountant.

"When Muslims perform hajj, they go to Saudi Arabia. `Eid Al-Adha should only be announced by Saudi Arabia because the Day of Arafat is there," he said.

"So if we have to follow them in hajj, Arafat and `Eid Al-Adha, why don’t we follow them in Ramadan and `Eid Al-Fitr as well?"

It so happened that those who follow Saudi Arabia have also started Ramadan on Saturday along with those who follow astronomical calculations.

For Sheikh Mohammad Al-Hanooti, a professor of Shari`ah, Muslims should adopt astronomical calculations rather than sighting the moon because Islam always adopts certainty.

"When we follow calculations we are certain and calculations are matters of certainty. As when we follow sighting the moon that is a matter of speculation and speculation is different from certainty. It is assessment but not certainty. In fiqh, when we have certainty and we have speculations, of course we adopt certainty," he told IOL.

Hanooti believes that the calculation criteria could easily unify people in Ramadan and `Eid.

"By adopting the calculation way we are going to unify people more than unifying them in the state when deciding moon sighting."

Umbrella Body

Some American Muslims believe they should follow American organizations rather than following different Arabic and Islamic countries.

"The most important thing for me is the unity of our umah (nation)," said Intesar Hasoon, an Iraqi-born American Muslim.

"Especially for Muslims living in the West, they need to look united in front of non-Muslims to reflect a good picture of our religion."

Hasoon believes that following a particular Islamic body could help Muslims be united.

"I always follow the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). It is the mother of most of the Islamic American organizations and most of us trust their decisions.

"I think that ISNA’s decision to follow calculations and to join FCNA’s decision in starting Ramadan is a very successful step towards unity."

Dr. Muzzamil Siddiqi, FCNA Chairman, said American Muslims still do not have one Islamic body to decide the crescent issue for them.

"American Muslims do trust ISNA generally," he asserted.

"But they have come from different countries and they are of different backgrounds. In America, Muslims have not yet developed a mechanism to have one body to decide the crescent issues and all people agree to follow its decision. Local imams and various other organizations also play their role in giving their opinions in this matter."

Dr. Hamid Al-Ghazali, adjunct professor at the Islamic American University and Chairman of Muslim American Society Council Islamic Schools (MASCIS), insists that uniting all American Muslims is impossible.

"We cannot unite all Muslims on one issue, but we could get the majority of people and join them," he told IOL.

Al-Ghazali, an imam for the last 25 years and Superintendent of Iman Academy School, believes Islamic organizations should be more inclusive in order to unify the majority of American Muslims.

"Our Islamic organizations such as ISNA and others should be more inclusive and as many organizations will accept what they say if they get as many Islamic organizations as possible into the Shura Council," he said.

"There are many organizations that are not included in the shura council. These organizations should be included and then the decision made between all these organizations and sheikhs will represent the majority and will be easier to follow."

Dr. Siddiqi wishes the new method adopted by FCNA and supported by ISNA could unite the majority of American Muslims.

"It is indeed the spirit of Ramadan and `Eid that Muslims be united and celebrate these blessed occasions together. This is what FCNA is trying to do and I am pleased to see that ISNA is leading this unified approach."