Police arrest cleric who announced Eid in Charsadda
Certain areas of Charsadda are celebrating Eidul Fitr today, one day before Saudi Arabia, following a late night sighting of the Shawwal moon by Barelvi sect clerics. The arrested cleric has been identified as Lal Rehman.
According to a police official of Shabqadar Police Station, Rehman has been arrested from his house in Matta Mughal Khel, Shabqadar, and has been put behind bars in the police station.
Last night, some clerics of the the union council of Matta and Panjpao reported that the Eidul Fitr moon had been sighted in other parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
A total of 10 percent of the province will be celebrating Eid today, while the majority Deobandi sect will assemble for moon sighting today evening.
The people living in these areas have demanded that the government ensure unity among Pakistani Muslims.
The central and local Ruet-e-Hilal committees will assemble today for sighting the moon as well.
COMMENTS (42)
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We always focus on useless matters. Law should be imposed and practiced by eveyone, without any objection in respect of our religion.
Let me get this straight - a cleric is arrested for looking at the moon? Is this for real? Are you people still in the Dark Ages???
Why should we beliece other clerics.
Thank you Mufti muneeb and all maulanas; you have invited such lunacy for us.
Are they going to arrest the clerics from the entire Middle East who have already celebrated the Eid?
@patriot: Please learn to appreciate sarcasm and have a good laugh over it. It is ur religious complexes that prevent u from seeing the message for what it is..
This is Popalzai's Popalzai ! We hope they are consistent in observing other religious days like Ashura, Eid Milad etc ahead of rest of the country.
moon seen in the middle of the night
BLASPHEMY! How can a Mullah be arrested! FREE THE MULLAHS!
Leave it to the Express Tribune to always try to drive a wedge between Barelvis and Deobandis. We are all Muslims, and I for one am neither Barelvi nor Deobandi.
Ruet-e-Hilal committees should be declared illegal. In this day and age of scientific development, the stages of moon can be acurately calculated. A trusted science and space organization should be assigned this task, so that there is ONE EID throughout the Country. It is ridiculous to practice moon sigting ritual any more
Comedic indeed. Late night sighting wouldn't be possible at all. Astronomically, the moon would have already extended past the western horizon shortly after sunset. Forget the arrests though, these people need a psychological evaluation!
Exploitation of provisional rights, freedom and constitutional rights. The Govt. After the 1971 Bangladesh then the present crisis in Balochistan still is exploiting provisional rights and basic constitutional and human freedom.
Why there is State's intervention in someone's religious believes. If people of some area want to celeberate Eid, then let them celeberate and enjoy. In old days, there were different Eid days within few miles apart.
he should be hanged upside down for creating rift in the ranks of Muslims. members of un-official and so-called moon-sighting committee in peshawar must also be punished for their own state within a state.
!Certain parts of Charsadda are celebrating Eid to day after late night sighting of moon by some clerics! Any comments please but without laughingI am loving it !!! I am getting addicted to Pakistani news for best entertainment...
I think we should first decide the exact day for Eid-UL fITER AND then decide to celeberate it combinely. I think it will show our unity.
@patriot: RELAX, buddy. Ever heard of sarcasm?
what's so serious about it?
Let him spend one behind bars.
Well done Police.
These clerics should be severely punished.
Such announcements should also come under blasphemy law, as this is tantamount to provoking people not to fast during the holy month of Ramadan and celebrate Eid without sighting the Eid Moon and without having few credible witnesses in the area.
It will be interesting to see that under which law has he been arrested.. freedom of speech and belief??
the state has nothing to do with religious affairs and festivals of theh people. The foremost duty of the state is establishing security and rendering justic, but regrettably the state has failed in providing both of them to the people. Worship and in that sense fasting is something personal, so interfering with the personal lives of the people is a worst kind of despotism.
This is unconstitutional. Iftikhar Muhammad choudry should take suo moto notice of this clear contempt. Only the judges should determine when the moon has or has not been sighted.
Eid Mubarak to those who are cebrating,
Pashtuns don't have to wait for the word from Bedouin camel herders that they have sighted the new moon.
Ban the clerics from looking at the moon !
This one takes the cake really!!!
lol good people at the part of the world are stupid generally
let them do whatever they want. it is their rozas that will be broken. quran and sunnah have strict direction in these matters. if they want to violet them , let them. pakistan govt has done its best , but illiterate people won't listen.
Well done .No one can stop them.They are addicted to this.
eid mubarak ...!!!!