The controversy of two eids is likely to continue this year as well as with most parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa set to celebrate Eid a day ahead of the rest of the country.
The traditional moon-sighting committee of Masjid Qasim Khan in Pesahwar will be holding a committee today under Mufti Shahab-ud-Din Popalzai.
The committe had earlier sighted moon a day earlier as well to mark the start of the holy month of Ramzan.
If the committee sights the moon this evening, most parts of the province will be observing eid on Tuesday.
The conflict is many years old as the official moon-sighting committe does not recognise the authority of the Qasim Khan Mosque.
The central moon-sighting committee under Mufti Muneeb is likely to hold a meeting tomorrow.
The Met office has predicted moon could be sighted on Tuesday.
Ironically, this year, Eid ul Fitr is expected to be observed on the same day all over the world. According to Saudi astrologists there is no chance of a moon sighting in Saudi Arabia on the evening of Monday 29 August and hence Ramazan will be 30 days long, ending on August 30.
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@Jean Verlander: hahahahaha nyc joke ...
@sane: brother it has nothing to do with Punjab. every time the announcement of Eid is made at national level, it is made on the basis of moon sighted in karachi and gwadar, not lahore or any other city of punjab.
@Aamir:
who will arrest mullahs
Two Eids...so what? Christians have two Chritmases. While some celebrate xmas on 25 Dec, the Russian orthodox have their xmas in January. Pakistani maulvis just want to create fuss by complaining about two eids.
According to AFP, Saudi Arabia announced Monday that the Eid al-Fitr feast marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan will be on Tuesday, in a statement aired on state television Al-Ekhbariyah.
Religious authorities in Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest shrines, said the new moon had been sighted and that Ramadan ends on Monday with the feast to follow the next day.
The Islamic calendar is a lunar one, and most Muslim countries set the beginning of Eid al-Fitr by the sighting of the new moon.
Egyptian state television, quoting Islamic authorities, too declared that Eid al-Fitr will be on Tuesday.
The United Arab Emirates and Qatar also announced the end of Ramadan.
pakistan is still a big country , here in hong kong , which is almost the same size of islamabad we will have two eids , justifications are that we should saudi arabia. As the said qari namaz saudi ke taraf parh lo gay lekin eid un kay saath nahi karogay. WTH!!!! Mullahs need to be educated
What a to- do!!!!!!. Glad we celebrate Christmas on 25th December.
this does not show unity as per islamic teachings
@Amjad:
That is unfortunate. There are 4 groups that follow local (N American) moonsighting, Saudi moonsighting, global moonsighting and ISNA's preset calendar respectively.
Pakistan is such a small country in the visibility curve that it is extremely rare for moon to be sighted in just a part of the country. Here is a link that shows visibility of new moon on 29th and 30th of Aug. Absolutely no chance of visibility anywhere in Pakistan on 29th. And higher altitude does not make any difference unless you are in space. There is about 300 meter difference between Lahore and Peshawar Elevation. There are buildings in many places taller than 300 m. Lahore is 217 Peshawar is 512 and Quetta is 1900 meters by comparison. Similarly start of ramazan a day early in parts of Pakistan was impossible as well based on visibility curve.
http://astro.ukho.gov.uk/moonwatch/nextnewmoon.html
Most of the Islamic Organizations in North America have already announced Eid-ul-Fitre on Tuesday Aug 30, 2011. This time, these organizations have defeated both Science and Naked eye Observation. I am on my way to my Boss office to request him to change my request of one day leave from Wednesday to Tuesday. It needs lot of explanations, pray for me...please.
This is the same story every year. I can promise you next year we will have two Eids. This story will go on.
What about in Western countries? I remember an Eid in the USA which was celebrated by different groups over 4 days!
it is not problem...tribal areas are more above the sea level as compare to rest of country and if anyone witness moon sighting they can celebrate Eid....Eid depends on moon sighting not roait-e hilal committe who sits in karachi and lahore....so two Eid in muslim worl are possible
the moon has to be sighted in punjab for a eid in pak. kpk aint tht important even if the moon is sighted thre. when thre is a scientific possiblity of the moon to be sighted today in kpk why doesnt the royat-e-hilal committee hold a commitee todday thre??? y tmmrww???
Well we need to mature up. Its high time!
We live on 796,095 km square of land. Now it is obvious that the cycles of earth and moon are constant regardless borders of countries/empires which change every century or so.
If they due to natural and geographical cycles of the this universe a part of this country sights moon earlier than the rest, then should it wait? Technically speaking I don't think it would be right as far as the religious aspects are concerned. Therefore its a shame that people don't understand and accommodate the people of KPK, FATA and other northern areas.
Celebrating Eid On The Same Day Won't Unite Us. But it sure can divide us!
I believe we have much more important issues. Corruption, lawlessness, crimes, terrorism, poverty, illiteracy, etc. We need to set our priorities, I guess. As long as there are corrupt rulers over us, who themselves wouldn't want to abide by law, we cant enforce law anywhere in Pak.
"According to Saudi astrologists..." Astronomers, you mean.
By law anyone other than Government's Moon Sighting Committee announcing eid should be arrested. Enforce law and then see who dare crosses limits. We are poor in governance that is why every Tom Dick and Harry is standing in front of our Government.
Opposition because of no reason. Seriously some sanity need to prevail in KPK