The Supreme Court has called on Muslims in Saudi Arabia to look out for the crescent of Shawwal moon on Thursday evening.
In an announcement on Tuesday, the kingdom’s Supreme Court called on “whoever sights the crescent moon”, through binoculars or otherwise, to immediately report to the nearest court and register their testimony.
Saudi Arabia's International Astronomy Centre on Sunday predicted that Eid Al Fitr should fall on Saturday, April 22 ― a day later than previously expected.
According to Abdullah Al Khudairi, a Saudi astronomical adviser, the moon will appear in the sky 24 minutes after sunset but will not be illuminated by the sun’s rays, which makes spotting it difficult. “Visibility depends on the purity of the atmosphere,” he said.
The Saudi Press Agency reported that the Supreme Court hopes that those who are capable of sighting the crescent moon will join committees “formed for that purpose in different regions and participate in such efforts that benefit Muslims” across the kingdom.
Traditionally, Muslims offer Eid prayers early in the morning with their families.
“After which we have what we look forward to the most — Eid breakfast. It's grand, takes a lot of effort, usually cooking and baking during late night hours and we dress up go to the mosque and pray. Once we return every family member is present at the breakfast table, to celebrate together,” said Renad Ajam, a Saudi teacher in Jeddah.
In a similar announcement, the UAE also called for the moon crescent to be sighted.
“The moon-sighting committee has invited all Muslims in the UAE to sight the crescent of the month of Shawwal on Thursday evening, 29th Ramadan,” the state news agency Wam reported.
In the UAE, there is a public holiday set for Thursday, April 20.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development announced on Monday that public holidays for Eid Al Fitr would officially begin on Friday, April 21.
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Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
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Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
