Ramadhan fasting month begins

JAKARTA (JP): Millions of Indonesian Moslems begin fasting today.

Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher announced in a televised speech last night that the first day of the Ramadhan Moslem fasting month, 1417 Hijr year, coincides with Friday, Jan. 10, 1997.

"This is the month when Moslems should purify themselves, get closer to the Beneficent, and cleanse themselves. This is the month...when Moslems should refresh themselves, renew their commitment to the path," he said.

"In the increasingly harsh world, and amid shallowing relations between people, this month is the best of time for Moslems to be introspective," he said further.

"We have experienced some difficult tests, all the more so because human victims fell," he said. He was apparently referring to the religious violence that has claimed lives over the past several months.

Earlier on, an official at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Zainal Abidin Abubakar, announced that the methods employed to determine the onset of the new month -- mathematical calculations and sightings of the new moon, known as hisab and rukyat hilal respectively-- yielded the same result.

The Arabic calendar year is based on lunar movement. While it can be calculated, the start of each month must await the sighting of the new moon.

It was announced yesterday that the official observation post in Pelabuhan Ratu, Sukabumi, West Java, and a number of individuals had sighted the new moon.

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

The same procedure must be performed next month to determine the end of Ramadhan. (03)