Large parts of the Muslim world are marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan and ushering in the holiday of Eid al-Fitr.
The Islamic calendar is lunar and depends on the sighting of the moon — something Muslim religious authorities tend to disagree on. Ramadan sees worshippers fasting daily from dawn to sunset, ending with Eid al-Fitr celebrations.
Though they are amid a rapprochement, Tehran and Riyadh disagree on the start of the holiday — for Saudis, Eid al-Fitr will begin tomorrow, while officials in Iran say it starts on Saturday.
The start of the holiday is traditionally based on sightings of the new moon, which vary according to geographic location, while some countries rely on astronomical calculations rather than physical sightings to determine the start of Eid al-Fitr.
United Arab Emirates and Qatar followed Saudi Arabia and announced the holiday would begin for them on Friday, while their Gulf Arab neighbor, Oman, declared that the moon had not been sighted and the holiday would begin on Saturday.
Israeli and West Bank Muslims are ending Ramadan this evening and beginning Eid al-Fitr tomorrow.
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From the Liveblog of
Thursday, April 20, 2023
