Cannons are ready in ten Sharjah locations

Sharjah: The Sharjah Police have decided on ten locations in the emirate where Ramadan cannons would be placed and fired to announce the iftar time during the month.

The preparations for firing Ramadan cannons was made according to the instructions given by Brigadier Saif Ziri Al Shamsi, Commander-in-Chief of Sharjah Police.

The chosen locations are: near Sharjah Cultural Palace, Al Juraina, near Al Sari Mosque, Al Nour Mosque at Sharjah Waterfront, Al Mirgab, Majlis Mughaider in Al Talla, Bukhari Mosque at Khor Fakkan Corniche, Tarif Mosque in Kalba, Shaikh Rashid Bin Ahmad Al Qasimi Mosque in Dibba Al Hisn and near Al Dhaid police station.

A senior Sharjah Police officer explained that firing of cannons to announce the iftar time was an old custom followed in Arab and Muslim countries and a large number of people, including non-Muslims of various nationalities, gather near the cannons to enjoy the proceedings. In Sharjah, a number of families also gather at these locations so that their relatives who are abroad could see them on TV.

The Ramadan cannons have become symbolic and an integral part of the UAE tradition.

The officer urged the people coming together to watch the cannon firing not to park their vehicles in the middle of the road causing traffic jams.