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Muslim buys are busy shopping for
`Eid Al-Fitr. (Reuters)
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CAIRO — Millions of
Muslims worldwide will celebrate `Eid Al-Fitr,
which marks the end of the holy fasting month
of Ramadan, on Tuesday, October 23, while
millions others will mark the festival a day
earlier.
Egypt's Mufti Ali Gomaa
announced late Sunday, October 22, that Monday
will be the last day of Ramadan and that
Tuesday will be the first day of `Eid.
Algeria said the crescent
of the new hijri month of Shawwal was not
sighted Sunday and Monday will be the last day
of fasting.
In Jordan, chief justice
Ahmad Julail announced that Tuesday will be
the first day of Shawwal and `Eid.
Official religious
authorities in Oman and Syria said that `Eid
will be celebrated on Tuesday.
In Asia, Malaysia announced
that Tuesday will be the first day of `Eid.
The announcement was made by the Keeper of the
Rulers Seal after the moon was not sighted in
any of the 28 selected locations throughout
the country.
Indonesia's moon-sighting
committee will meet later Monday to make an
official announcement of the start of `Eid
Al-Fitr.
Bangladesh's 18-member
National Moon Sighting Committee led by State
Minister for Religious Affairs Mosharref
Hossain Shahjahan sits Monday at Baitul
Mukarram National Mosque to confirm the moon
sighting.
If the moon is sighted,
`Eid will start Tuesday otherwise the festival
will be celebrated across the country on
Wednesday.
The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) announced on its website that the first day of `Eid Al-Fitr will be on Tuesday.
Muslims in Pakistan will also celebrate `Eid either on Tuesday or Wednesday.
In India, Muslims will sight the new moon on Monday. If the sighting is confirmed `Eid will fall on Tuesday otherwise it will be celebrated on Wednesday.
`Eid Al-Fitr, one of the
two most important Islamic celebrations
together with `Eid Al-Adha, will start
Monday in Gulf countries, the United
States and some European countries.
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.