Reaching a consensus: Meeting today to resolve controversy over Moon Sighting

If the issue is not resolved, then a final way is to follow Saudi Arabia for commencing Ramazan or celebrating Eid.

PESHAWAR:

Local religious scholars and government officials will hold a joint-meeting on Wednesday to resolve their long-standing dispute over Ramazan moon sighting.

The meeting has been called by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa religious affairs department at the civil secretariat, in which Provincial Minister for Auqaf and Religious Affairs Haji Namroz Khan, Mufti Shahbuddin Popalzai, members of moon sighting zonal committee and other renowned scholars will participate. The meeting will discuss and attempt to resolve the difference over moon sighting for Ramazan and Eid in the province for the last fifty years.

“We want to resolve the long standing issue between the centre and locals religious scholars (Ulema) and want them to sit together for moon sighting,” Khan said, adding that religious scholars will cooperate with provincial government to “resolve this issue for good”.

“If our religious scholars do not resolve this issue, then the centre has a final way to follow Saudi Arabia for commencing Ramazan or celebrating Eid,” Khan concluded.



Published in The Express Tribune, July 27^th, 2011.