ECFR Chief Urges UK Muslims to Unite behind Their Mosques in Ramadan
Sheikh Hussein Halawa said they should adhere to their mosque’s announcement even if it differs from the official statement issued by the ECFR.
Earlier in February, the European Council for Fatwa announced that Saturday, April 2nd, 2022, will be the first day of Ramadan 1443 AH.
But Sheikh Halawa said individual central mosques' decisions take precedence, affirming principles of unity and harmony between Muslims.
His statements came during the first live interactive broadcast organized by the Al-Arab in UK (AUK), which aired on its various social media platforms on Thursday evening, March 31st, with hundreds of Arabs and Muslims in virtual attendance.
Nonetheless, Sheikh Halawa called on UK mosques to consider adhering to ECFR's statement, as it is based on scientific research, and had been agreed upon in a major Saudi-Arabia-led Islamic conference that took place in Istanbul with representatives from 80 different countries.
"The decision to begin the month of Ramadan is a legal, scientific decision that is not subject to political accounts, and it should not be neglected," said Halawa. "Just as we rely on our clocks throughout the year to set prayer times, we also adopt scientific astronomical calculations – not astrology – to set the beginning of Ramadan."
Source: middleeastmonitor.com
