Muslim holy month starts
2008-09-01 14:15
Cairo - Most of the Muslim Mideast began the first day of Ramadan on Monday, but Iraqi Shi'ites and some Lebanese Shi'ites will follow Iran's example and begin observing the holy month of fasting on Tuesday.
Ramadan begins the day after the sighting of the crescent moon that marks the beginning of a new lunar month. Some countries use astronomical calculations and observatories, while others rely on the naked eye alone, leading to different starting times.
Libya, for example, began the holy period on Sunday. The state-run Libyan news agency reported that religious officials there had already spotted the first tiny sliver of moon.
This year's Muslim holy month comes at a time of high food prices region-wide - a burden for low-income people struggling to afford the special foods that mark the end of fasting each sunset. High food prices also complicate the usual practice of buying new clothes and other treats.
Hot weather also is likely to create extra challenges this year for observers who go without food or water during daylight hours.
In Shi'ite Iran, 100 groups sent to different parts of the country on the order of Iran's top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, did not detect the moon on Sunday night, said state-run TV. It said Ramadan would start on Tuesday in Iran.
In Iraq, Shi'ites will also observe the month on Tuesday but Sunnis began observing on Monday. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki called on Iraq to "maintain peace and security" during Ramadan.
Gesture of goodwill
Lebanon's Sunnis and some Shi'ites did begin Ramadan on Monday. But Hezbollah and it supporters, who follow Iran, are expected to begin fasting on Tuesday.
In a gesture of goodwill before the holy month, Egypt opened its sealed border crossing with Gaza on Saturday, allowing hundreds of people to enter and leave the coastal territory for medical treatment in Egypt and other reasons, officials said.
In Gaza itself, Palestinians began marking the holy month under the strain of an Israeli blockade that has lasted more than a year, since Hamas militants violently seized control of the territory.
More goods have been entering Gaza since a June ceasefire went into effect, but a shortage of cooking gas has forced dozens of bakeries to cut back on the number of traditional Ramadan pastries they produce.
In Ramallah in the West Bank, the atmosphere on Monday was a little more upbeat than last year. Many people had decorated their houses with coloured lights in the shape of crescents. To cash in on the season's traditional soap opera television specials, shops offered a Ramadan special of 50% off TV satellite dishes.
In Jordan, police distributed small booklets to motorists, urging traffic safety. Traffic accidents - a problem across the region during Ramadan - increase by an average of 70% during the fasting month in Jordan.
In Dubai, newspapers published special editions with ads for Ramadan sales in the city-state's giant shopping malls and lavish meals at the city's luxury hotels.
Ramadan can last either 29 or 30 days, depending on when the first moon of the next lunar month is sighted. During the month, Muslims are expected to abstain during daylight hours from food, drink, smoking and sex in order to focus on spiritual introspection.
- AP