The start and end of Ramadan does not fall on the same day every year. In France, the end of Ramadan this year was quite controversial. Muslims in the country were torn on what schedule to follow. Finally, the French Muslim Council announced that Ramadan in France would end on Wednesday. The announcement was made by Dr. Dalil Boubakeur, president of the French Muslim Council and made known to the public at the Great Mosque of Paris.
Ramadan ends around the world
Meanwhile in Bangladesh, trains are filling up with people who will celebrate the Eid beginning Thursday, August 8. In Australia, rains ushered in the early morning Eid prayers in Sydney’s Lakamba mosque where the faithful have gathered to mark the end of the Ramadan.
Eid al-Fitr is a national holiday in many countries. This festival marks the end of the Muslim fasting month. For three days, followers of Islam with spend time feasting and praying with friends and family members. The President of the United States decided on a rather non-traditional gesture to express oneness with the end of the Muslim Holy Month – a $195 million humanitarian aid to the displaced citizens of Syria.
In Iran, the end of the Ramadan falls on Quds Day, August 9. This day is dedicated by Iranians to express solidarity with Palestine. The lawmakers of the country have called on Iranian citizens to organize street rallies to protest the actions of Western countries in North Africa and the Middle East. In the meantime, Muslims in Palestine observe Eid al-Fitr on Thursday in accord with the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem. Celebrations, processions and cultural events will be held in Palestine until Sunday.
Celebrating Eid al-Fitr
Eid al-Fitr is known by many names. It is sometimes called the “Feast of Breaking the Fast.” Some also refer to it as the “Sugar Feast,” “Lesser Eid,” and “Bayram.” Celebrating Eid is a very important religious holiday for all Muslims all over the world. It marks the end of a month long fasting from sunrise to sunset that Muslims observe with respect and diligence. The Eid al-Fitr festival is brought on by the sighting of the new moon.
The French controversy
Determining the start and end of Ramadan was largely based on lunar observation since time immemorial. This brought some inconsistencies regarding setting an exact date to celebrate the holiday. Muslims follow various methods in determining the start and end of Ramadan. Some base it on the Islamic lunar calendar while others use the Gregorian particularly countries located in Europe.
The French Muslim Council decided to use the scientific method over traditional ones to determine when the new moon would appear. However, not every Muslim in France approved of this scheme. Other Muslim groups decided to wait and base their celebration using traditional methodology. Confusion struck the five million Muslims in France when some followed the Tuesday schedule while others started the festival on Wednesday.
One of the first countries to use the scientific calculation in determining the start and end of Ramadan is Turkey. This country has used this type of calculations decades ago. Neighboring countries such as Germany and Bosnia use the same method. Other Muslim groups in Europe commonly start Ramadan by basing on the schedule where they came from. Many Muslim countries pattern the start and end of Ramadan with neighboring countries celebrating the religious holiday, but most follow the schedule set by Saudi Arabia. As nobody sighted the Shawwal crescent last Tuesday, Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court announced that the 29th day of Ramadan was August 7.
Photo Credit: Eid al-Fitr Celebration
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