Australia to celebrate Eid ul Fitr on Saturday, rules moon-sighting committee

The Moonsighting Australia Imam Committee has finally declared that Eid ul Fire will be celebrated on Saturday. 

"Based on the view of the majority of the members, the 1st of Shawwal 1439 will be on Saturday 16th June," it said in a Twitter statement after hours of deliberations.

Wishing everyone Eid Mubarak, said that the committee was divided on the  matter of crescent being sighted in Sydney and Darwin. 

The Queensland Imam Council has announced that they will celebrate Eid Ul Fitr on Saturday 16th June, it said.

Earlier , the committee said said that the 1st day of Shawwal 1439 will be on Saturday, 16th June 2018 as moon was not sighted in Australia. Based on local moonsighting, Eid Ul Fitr will be on Saturday 16th June 2018.

“In an effort to preserve the great Prophetic practice of moon sighting, over 100 Imams, many Mosques and Islamic Centres across Australia come together in a unified stance to maintain this practice throughout Australia,” a statement by Australia’s MAIC said.

This year, the holy month of Ramadan began across the world on the same day and chances. 

Pakistan's moonsighting committee meets

In Pakistan, Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee will meet shortly to sight the crescent.

“There are fewer chances of the Eid moon being sighted today,” the Met Office said while stating that chances are higher of Eid-ul -Fitr being celebrated on Saturday, June 16 across Pakistan, Geo reported.

The moon can only be sighted if it is 26 hours and 42 minutes old, it added while stating that at sundown the moon will be 19 hours and three minutes old.

In a statement earlier this month, Met office said that there was slight chance for sighting of the Shawwal moon.

The new moon of Shawwal, 1439 AH will be born on crossing conjunction point at 00-45 PST on 14-06-2018, a statement by the Met office said.

According to astronomical parameters, there is a slight chance of sighting the new moon of Shawwal, 1439 AH on the evening of 14-06-2018 i.e. on 29th of Ramzan, 1439 AH.

The weather is expected fair/partly cloudy in most parts of the country, according to climate record.

The authorities have set up Special Cells to collect evidence of moon sighting from different parts of the country.

CHRC chairman Mufti Munib ur Rehman will preside over the committee's meeting in Karachi to sight the moon.

People have been asked to approach the relevant authorities to submit evidence.