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)