THIS year the science and technology minister had announced that Eid would be celebrated on the same day all over the world, ie June 5th. This was a tall order.

Sure enough, on Ramazan 29 (June 4) we read in papers that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Saudi Arabia celebrated Eid on Tuesday (June 4).

Then the hullabaloo started. Arab countries had differences on when Ramazan should end. Some countries, including Egypt, insisted that it should end on Tuesday and not Monday. The countries who celebrated Eid on Tuesday asked their citizens to fast an additional day and the Saudi authorities announced it would pay one billion six million riyal as kafara to compensate for the mistake in announcing Eid on the wrong day.

Even our Ruet-i-Hilal Committee has made the Ramazan and Eidul Fitr crescent sighting an ego issue.

I am left speechless. Where is the Muslim world headed? Time and again we have made a fool of ourselves.

May Allah Almighty guide us and protect us from mischief makers and those who harbour evil intentions. Amen

Tasneem Allibhoy Tharia

Karachi

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THE Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government declared June 4th as Eidul Fitr for the sake of ‘harmony’ and ‘unity’ in the province. I wonder what kind of harmony and unity is this?

This decision robbed the joy of Eid of the people of Malakand and Hazara divisions, who had started fasting with the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee announcement. How could they celebrate Eid after 28 days of fasting? This decision spread angst among the residents of these divisions.

Irshad Ullah

Buner, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2019