Manama: Kuwait's Shiite scholars say that Ramadan will start on Thursday, according to a newspaper report.
The announcement, on Sunday, in the local daily newspaper Al Watan, was based on the fact that the crescent, marking the beginning of the sacred month, would not be visible before Wednesday.
The scholars said they did not base their decisions on astronomers' calculations but instead followed the traditional view of observing the crescent.
Muslims have often differed on the exact start and end time of Ramadan, during which they abstain from food, drink and sexual activities from sunrise to sunset.
Last week, a member of the Beirut office of Syed Mohammad Hussain Fadlallah, a leading Shiite leader who died last month after a long battle with illness, said that Wednesday would be the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan. The date was determined on the basis of astrological calculations in accordance with Islamic scientific rules, the office said.
The disagreement on when Ramadan starts continues to be a contentious issue among Muslims, despite repeated calls for agreement on the subject. Traditional scholars insist on the sighting of the crescent, while some other religious leaders believe that astronomical calculations can be used to determine the start and the end of the month.
Last month, a Kuwaiti astronomer announced that the first day of Ramadan would be Wednesday, August 11, based on calculations. However, Sahel Al Ojairi, said that "since the moon would not be visible in several parts of the world on that day, most countries will start fasting on different days".
He pointed out that Libya and Lebanon would start observing the fasting month on Wednesday as both nations relied heavily on calculations, while Oman would begin on Thursday, August 12, since it traditionally relied on the sighting of the moon.
"India and Pakistan will start on Friday, August 12, due to geographical considerations, while other countries, including the Gulf Co-operation Council and North Africa, do not have any specific day to start Ramadan as the moon will not be visible there," he was quoted as saying by the Kuwaiti daily the Arab Times.
