Astronomer: Eid Al Fitr on Friday in Muslim world

Bahrain’s lead astronomer Dr Waheeb Al Nasser said he expected all Muslim countries to celebrate Eid Al Fitr on Friday, regardless of when they started their fast.

“Even if the crescent is not seen with the naked eye on Thursday due to heavy clouds or to dust, it will be sighted easily after sunset in several other countries,” he said. “This means that Muslims will celebrate Eid on Friday, whether they started their fast on Wednesday, May 16, such as in Turkey, Baltic states and some Muslims in North and South America, or on Thursday May 17, like the majority of the countries, or on Friday May 18, like some Muslims.”

Al Nasser said this in remarks published by Bahraini daily Akhbar Al Khaleej. He said the crescent would be visible for 39 to 50 minutes in the Arab world on Thursday.

The sighting of the crescent marking the start or the end of Ramadan has often been a point of debate among Muslims, resulting in countries announcing the start and end of the sacred month on different days.

The clash is mainly between conservatives who insist on seeing the crescent with the naked eye, in line with a literal interpretation of Islamic principles, and those who call for the use of astronomical calculations to predict the start of the month.