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WEEKLY
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| Moon-sighting controversy |
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Friday, September 25, 2009
The whole controversy between a senior minister of the ANP-led NWFP government and Mufti Munibur Rahman is in bad taste and I have to say that the fault lies more with the ANP. As far as I know Munibur Rehman, the chairman of the central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, hails from Mansehra but has been living in Karachi for over forty years and hence saying that he is a representative, in a manner of speaking, of the country's largest province is factually incorrect and misleading. Also, it is ironic that the ANP -- which by its own admission is a secular party -- has now gone the other way on another issue; the first being the Nizam-e-Adl regulation for Swat and Malakand.
Khalilur Rehman
Karachi
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I have a simple suggestion to permanently end the annual moon-sighting controversy: a compulsory course in astronomy for all members of the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee as well as those clerics who think that the moon should appear in Pakistan on the same day as in Saudi Arabia. They will then know that it is possible to predict accurately the date and time of appearance of the new moon anywhere in the world. They will also learn that with the help of astronomy, solar and lunar eclipses can be predicted years before they occur.
Shakir Lakhani
Karachi
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With regard to the controversy over Eid being celebrated first in NWFP and the ensuing quarrel between a senior leader and federal minister from the ANP and the chairman of the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, may I say that if the whole country celebrates Eid on one day and one province on another day, then it's more likely that the rest of the country got it right.
Areej Hanif
Karachi
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Can the ANP's federal minister kindly tell the nation if he or his ancestors ever celebrated Eid with Saudi Arabia?
Mahabat Khan Bangash
Peshawar
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