CANBERRA: Australia’s national Islamic authorities have announced that Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated across the country. The decision was made in consultation with the Australian Fatwa Council after reviewing scientific data and astronomical calculations regarding the Shawwal moon.
The councils focused on that the decision followed consultation with scientific bodies and experts who study lunar visibility.
Meanwhile, in Pakistan, the federal government has announced that salaries for government employees will be released before Eid-ul-Fitr to facilitate preparations for the upcoming religious festival.
The early disbursement is expected to help employees manage their holiday expenses and make necessary arrangements for Eid celebrations.
In Saudi Arabia, preparations are underway for the traditional moon-sighting process. The Supreme Judicial Council of Saudi Arabia has called a meeting on March 18 to review arrangements for observing the Shawwal crescent.
The official moon-sighting session will take place on the 29th day of Ramadan, when observers across the Kingdom will attempt to sight the new moon that signals the beginning of Shawwal and the end of fasting.
Pakistan has also scheduled its official moon-sighting meeting. The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee will convene on March 19 in Islamabad to determine the sighting of the Shawwal crescent.
The meeting will be chaired by Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad, who heads the national committee responsible for announcing the start of Islamic months.
In addition to the central meeting in Islamabad, zonal committees will hold parallel sessions in major cities including Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta. These committees will collect testimonies of moon sightings from across the country before forwarding their findings to the central body.
