Iraqis buy sweets as they prepare for `Eid al-Fitr. (Reuters)

CAIRO — `Eid Al-Fitr, the feast that marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, starts Monday, October 23, in Gulf countries, the United States and some European countries.

In Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, the Supreme Judicial Council said the crescent of the new hijri month of Shawwal was not sighted on Saturday, October 21.

Abdullah Al-Ghodiri, member of the Moon Sighting Committee in the capital Riyadh, said no body has verified the birth of the new crescent in the heights.

Thus, Sunday, October 22, is the last day of the holy fasting month and `Eid celebrations will start Monday.

Following suit, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Yemen announced that Sunday is the last day of the dawn-to-dusk fast and Monday is the firs day of Shawwal.

Iraqi Sunnis will also celebrate `Eid Monday while Shiites will sight the new crescent of Shawwal the same day.

Palestinian Mufti Mohammad Ahmad Hussein further announced Saturday that Sunday is the last day of Ramadan, during which adult Muslims, save the infirm, elderly and those traveling abstain from drinking, eating and having sex from dawn to dusk.

In Africa, Libya, Sudan, Somalia, Tunisia and Djibouti announced that `Eid will fall on Monday.

Other Arab and Muslim countries, including Egypt, Algeria, Somalia, Syria, Jordan, Tunisia as well as Malaysia will seek to sight the new moon later on Sunday.

Professor Ahmed Ismail Khalifa of the Cairo-based Al-Azhar University said last week that astronomical calculations showed that the new crescent could not be seen on Sunday, October 22, because it would go down in most Egyptian cities before sunset.

`Eid Al-Fitr is one of the two most important Islamic celebrations, together with `Eid Al-Adha, or "Feast of Sacrifice."

After special prayers to mark the day, festivities and merriment start with visits to the homes of friends and relatives.

Traditionally, everyone wears new clothes for `Eid, and the children look forward to gifts and the traditional `ediya (cash).

USA, Europe

The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) announced that Monday is the first day of `Eid.

"According to the scientific criteria for determining the Islamic lunar dates adopted by the Fiqh Council of North America, the last day of Ramadan 1427 will be Sunday, October 22, and `Eid Al-Fitr this year will be on Monday, October 23, 2006," it said on an online statement.

Turkey's government religious affairs committee announced that Monday will be the first day of `Eid.

The European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR) also said that Sunday is the last day of Ramadan.

"It will be difficult to sight the moon crescent of Shawwal on Sunday night in most of Muslim and western countries though it could be sighted in some countries like South Africa. If the crescent was spotted in country on Sunday, then Monday would be the first day of `Eid Al-Fitr," the Dublin-based council said in a statement.

The East London Mosque said on its website that `Eid Al-Fitr will be on Monday.

The Muslim minorities in Sweden, Austria, Ukraine, Denmark, Norway, Czech Republic, France, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands will also celebrate `Eid on Monday.

`Eid Al-Fitr will start Monday in Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kirghizstan, Turkmenistan, Mongolia, Belarus, Azerbaijan and Tatarstan.