Ramadan officially begins across North Africa and the diaspora

The Islamic holy month of Ramadan has officially started in Morocco after the crescent moon was observed on the evening of February 18th, reports Hespress.

King Mohammed VI addressed his wishes for the holy month to leaders of Muslim countries, and he reportedly exchanged greetings with Emirati president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, hoping for stability and security in the Muslim world.

The UAE had taken part in pre-Ramadan humanitarian efforts by sending a ship carrying over 7.000 tonnes of aid to Gaza, as part of an ongoing relief campaign, Operation Gallant Knight 3.

Religious authorities in Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt and Libya have also announced that the first day of fasting would be February 19th. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, on the other hand, started fasting on the 18th February, along with Palestine and Sudan.

In France, the announcements about the start of Ramadan sparked deep disagreement, with the Grand Mosque of Paris calling for fasting to begin on February 18th, while France’s Muslim Council (CFCM) set it for February 19th.

The issue signals deeper ideological rifts within the French Muslim community, with some favouring traditional methods of observation while others prefer astronomic calculations.

The divisions also reflect political affiliations, with the controversial Paris mosque linked to Algeria, a former French colony, while the CFCM, founded in 2003 on instructions from Nicolas Sarkozy, then-Interior Minister, has faced internal infighting among branches associated with Moroccan, Algerian and Turkish interests.

In the United Kingdom, there were similar scenes of confusion, with mosques announcing different start days. The London Central Mosque followed Saudi Arabia’s lead and began fasting on the 18th, while other groups, such as the Royal Observatory and the New Crescent Society, called for local moon-sighting organisations.

The confusion might also recur at the end of Ramadan, as the date of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month, also depends on crescent moon sightings.

Hespress, France 24, MyLondon, Maghrebi.org