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The crescent cannot be sighted on
September 22.
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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.
