{UAH} MUSLIM SHOULD ACTIVELY FOLLOW ISLAMIC LUNAR CALENDAR

Brothers and sisters, Eid mubarak. There are lessons to learn. Most of
Ugandan Muslims don't follow the Islamic lunar or Hijira Calendar but
rely only on Saudi Arabia for sighting for us the new moon since we
are in the same altitude.
There is some hesitation among some of us, at the beginning of Ramadan
where people want to first eye witness the sight of the New Moon
before they start fasting, but at the end, they rush before completing
30 days and don't want to hear that the new moon has not been sighted.
This is what happened yesterday when many were expecting for Eid to
have taken place today, when at the beginning, all remember, that we
started fasting on Monday when many expected it to start on Tuesday.
l remember in 1981, when, 1.00 o'clock news called upon Muslims to
start fasting, but for us who were from Africa Muslim Community Bukoto
Nateete failies had already fastened as we depended on the calendar.
Then in 1982, at 6.00 pm, Al Haji Abdul Nsereko announced that Eid El
Fitri was on that day and this was nullified by the then Mufti
Abadarazak Matovu, saying that the moon had not been sighted and
later, confirmed tat it had been sighted and called upon Muslims to go
for Eid prayers.
Thee was total confusion, and he was summoned by the then President,
Apollo Milton Obote.
l foresee now rivalry between Director of Shariah at UMSC Headquarters
and Office of Supreme Mufti Kibuli over who should announce. But to
avoid confusing the Muslim fraternity and the general public, that
should be left to Director of Shariah. Insha Allah, after the expiry
of the current General Assembly, we may have one UMSC but with
devolution of power and responsibility to regions, in accordance with
Kabwegyere Report where all both rival groups and their allies were
represented.
In the year 2000, Eid El Fitri almost fell on Christmas and many
Muslims wished so, but the new moon was not sighted and it slipped to
Boxing Day. However in the early seventies, when l was a minor, l
remember one Eid whether El Fitri or Al Adhuha tat fell either on
Christmas or Easter Sunday.

Lastly, we should popularize the Islamic lunar calendar to stand side
by side with the Gregorian solar calendar and we should pay tribute to
Sheikh Zaid Mugenyasooka and Sons, for publishing it for almost a
century.
Eid mubarak.

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