THE TELEGRAPH: Muslims began the fasting month of Ramadan on Wednesday during an especially gruelling time of the year, with sweltering heat and extremely long daylight hours across the Middle East.
Religious authorities in Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, announced the siting of the crescent moon on Tuesday evening, fixing the start of the ninth month of the lunar Islamic calendar on the following day.
Officials in Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, the Palestinian territories, Qatar, Syria, Libya, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Algeria and Tunisia also announced a Wednesday start to the month.
The same was true for Sunni Muslims in Iraq, but the larger Shia community will not begin Ramadan until Thursday, as is the case with Oman.
Muslims observe Ramadan by abstaining from food, drink and sexual intercourse from dawn until sunset.
Pregnant and menstruating women, the sick, travellers and prepubescent children are exempt from the fast, which is one of the five pillars of Islam. >>> | Wednesday, August 13, 2010
