Indonesian Moslems start fasting tomorrow

Indonesian Moslems start fasting tomorrow

JAKARTA (JP): The start of the Ramadhan fasting month begins
tomorrow.

Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher through decree No.
887/Dec. 29, 1997, announced yesterday that the first day of the
Ramadhan Moslem fasting month, 1418 Hijr year, would fall on Dec.
31.

The decree was announced following an agreement in an Istbat
conference attended by leading Moslem organizations including the
Indonesian Council of Ulemas, Nahdlatul Ulama, Muhammadiyah and
representatives from other Islamic countries.

Also present were experts on mathematical calculations and
sightings of the new moon, known as hisab and rukyat hilal.

Antara reported that the agreement was reached after the
conference received reports from the Religious High Courts and
Religious District Courts throughout the country which have
carried out sightings of the new moon.

An official at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Samsul Hadi,
said that various other methods, such as visual sightings of the
moon employed to determine the onset of the Ramadhan month,
yielded the same result.

Samsul said official observation posts in Manado, North
Sulawesi; Jayapura, Irian Jaya; Ambon, Maluku; Pontianak, West
Kalimantan; Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan; Pelabuhan Ratu,
West Java and several posts in East Java had failed to sight the
new moon.

The new month is usually determined by the sighting of the
moon which is due to take place, based on mathematical
calculations, either today or tomorrow. But since no observation
post had sighted the moon yesterday it was assumed that the moon
would appear Wednesday.

The announcement of the start of Ramadhan received full
support from the major Moslem organizations, including
Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama, when it was presented to their
representatives at the state-owned station TVRI office.

The same procedure must be performed next month to determine
the end of Ramadhan. (10)