DISAGREEMENT concerning the beginning of Islam’s holy month has surfaced among Ireland’s Muslim communities.
A well-informed source has told Metro Éireann that “a heated debate” among some Muslims has arisen following the decision of the two main Muslim bodies – the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland (ICCI) and Islamic Foundation of Ireland (IFI) – to declare the start of Ramadan on Friday 21 August, one that was “at odds with the majority of the Muslim world”.
It could mean that Muslim communities in Ireland celebrate Eid, the end of Ramadan, on different days, added the source.
Ramadan is determined by the Islamic lunar calendar, and its beginning is based on sightings of the first crescent after a new moon – which can differ according to one’s location and the weather.
The two chief Muslim bodies, which are part of the 14-member Irish Council of Imams – headquartered at the ICCI – use the “astronomical calculations” of the German Islamic Scientific Astronomical Committee in determining the start and finish of the lunar months. According to the Irish Council of Imams, Ramadan began on the afternoon of Friday 21 August.
However, the Muslim source informed Metro Éireann that some imams in Ireland had expressed “uncertainty” about the directive, given the “requirement of a moon sighting”.
Ali Selim, spokesperson for the Islamic Cultural Centre at Clonskeagh, denied there was controversy over the matter, but several mosques proceeded with a start date of Saturday 22 August.
Metro Éireann understands the Blackpitts mosque near Clanbrassil Street, for example, adopted a Saturday starting date. However, its imam, Ismail Kotwal, who is a member of the Irish Council of Imams, said two productive meetings had taken place within the body to clear up the issue.
“The next time Ramadan comes,” he said, “instead of the council sitting in the afternoon, what we’ve agreed is that we’ll delay that until sunset.” This would increase the chances of a moon sighting, he explained.
Kotwal added that there was a specific saying from the Prophet Mohammed to begin Ramadan by the sighting of the moon, and that “the beautiful teachings of Islam” must not be lost. He said that debate within the Muslim community was “healthy”, and that “sometimes you can disagree and still be united”.
The Tallaght Mosque on Greenhills Road followed the technical method and announced the start of Ramadan on Friday 21 August.
“The problem is that in the early period of Islam, there were illiterate people so Allah made everything physical for them. With new technology, it is possible to calculate the time of the appearance of the moon,” said its imam Alfa Manzur Somide.
“Our colleagues in Letterkenny started on Saturday morning,” he added. “The moon appeared on Thursday according to technology – but they said they have to see the moon physically.”
