Absolute meteorological calculation should be applied to resolve this predicament.
GUJRAT: Every year, a considerable measure of delight brought by Eid is tarnished in Pakistan because of the confusion regarding the sighting of the moon and the exact date of Eidul Fitr. This results in a split on an occasion that calls for unity. For some inexplicable reason, the ulema of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the central moon-sighting committee fail to agree on the issue of sighting the moon. At the same time, our ulema have not accepted the reality of modern science, particularly that of meteorology. Most of them display inflexibility and insist on the actual sighting of the moon with the naked eye, regardless of weather conditions and notwithstanding the fact that in today’s world, it is easy to fix an Islamic calendar with the help of meteorological techniques. The result is that the country ends up celebrating multiple Eids, with some people in the same area fasting while others celebrating the festival.
This problem, however, can be easily sorted out, as has been done in many Islamic countries. Absolute meteorological calculation should be applied to resolve this predicament, rather than relying on traditional methods of moon-sighting.
Muhammad Yoosuf Bhutta
Published in The Express Tribune, August 18th, 2012.
