First day of Idul Fitri falls on Sunday: Govt

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government announced on Friday evening that the first day of Idul Fitri would fall on Sunday.

The announcement was made following a meeting chaired by Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Alwi Shihab at the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

The meeting was attended by religious leaders, the chairman of House of Representatives Commission VIII overseeing religious affairs, Yusuf Muhammad, Supreme Court Chief Justice Bagir Manan and leaders of various Muslim organizations.

Participants at the meeting discussed reports from Muslim leaders from around the country on their sighting of the moon, or ihlal.

"There were reports sent in from 26 cities across the country and all of them said they had not seen the moon. Therefore, we declare that Idul Fitri falls on Sunday, Nov. 14," Alwi said.

The head of calendar calculations at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Wahyu Widiana, said that when the sun set on Friday the moon was still positioned below the horizon.

Unlike previous years, there has been no dispute this year between the country's two largest Muslim organizations, Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, over when Idul Fitri will begin.

Nahdlatul Ulama, which has about 40 million members, announced on Thursday Idul Fitri would begin on Sunday.

Muhammadiyah, which has approximately 30 million members, also announced on Friday that Idul Fitri would begin on Sunday.

Muhammadiyah chairman Syafii Ma'arif also dismissed any concerns the organization's branches across the country might have about Idul Fitri beginning on some day other than Sunday.

"The decision is final and there is no possibility that Idul Fitri will fall on other day except Sunday," he said in Yogyakarta on Friday.

In the past, Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah have sometimes celebrated Idul Fitri on different dates.