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ug. 29, Online

President Susilo Bambang Yu-dhoyono says he will wait for the Isbat meeting being organized on Monday afternoon by the Religious Affairs Ministry to determine the official date of Idul Fitri, and that the government will respect any differences among Muslims nationwide on Idul Fitri dates chosen.

“The President is waiting for the official announcement from the Religious Affairs Ministry,” Presidential spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha said Monday as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.

According to the official government calendar, the government decided that Aug. 30 would be the first day of the Islamic month of Syawal, marking the Idul Fitri holiday, but it has yet to issue an official statement to that effect, amid speculation that the Religious Affairs Ministry would announce that Idul Fitri falls on Aug. 31.

A ministry official said Sunday that the ministry decision on the first day of Syawal would wait for the result of the Isbat meeting the date coincides with the 29th day of Ramadan.

Indonesia’s second-largest Muslim organization, Muhammadiyah, earlier announced that Idul Fitri would fall Tuesday.

Your comments:

Indonesia is perhaps the only country where it is hard to make a decision on the date of Idul Fitri.

Relly
Bekasi, West Java

They have the whole month of Ramadhan to think about it, but only at the last minute do they change their opinion.

Ed Hammingh
Kuta, Bali

It has always been the case that in their sincere efforts to worship Allah, Muslims reach different conclusions. Thus there are small differences in the way we pray, etc. The important thing is not necessarily to reach the same conclusion but to worship Allah and respect small differences.

As for the suggestion that we should be like Christians, all celebrating on the same day, the principle of fixing Eid by the lunar calendar is different from their solar calendar.

Even then they differ, in my country, Australia, the Catholics and Protestants have one day, the Greek, Russian and Serbian Orthodox another day.

Rais
Australia

Idul Fitri is decided upon sighting of the moon. Once it has been proven that it has been sighted by any means, it becomes obligatory to act upon this sighting.

It is probable that they use astronomical observatories, telescopes or the naked eye in many different places. We have to respect their decision.

Pramana
Dakira, Burkina Faso