JAKARTA: Many Indonesians found themselves hungry and confused on Tuesday after the government declared the Eid al-Fitr festival that ends the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan would not start there for another day.

The government decided late Monday, after consulting with religious bodies, that the moon was not in the right position for Eid to begin on Tuesday, as it has done for most Muslims around the world. It will start Wednesday instead.

"It's a rather chaotic situation. People have had to change their schedules that they had fixed many days in advance," said Icha Susanto, an account manager at a private company in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country.

"We are disappointed as it's hard for our family members to gather in one place due to the shifting Eid."

Susanto, 31, said she also felt sorry for families and food vendors who were forced to waste food that they had prepared for the first day of the three-day celebrations.

However the country's second-largest Islamic group, Muhammadiyah, decided to start Eid on Tuesday, with some astronomers still maintaining that was correct.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp...1150037/1/.html


They Know Not the Day or Hour: Id Confusion in Indonesia as Muslims Unclear Whether to Continue Fasting or Not

Hungry Muslims dismayed after government in Jakarta postpones the end of Ramadan by a day, claiming the moon is not yet in the right position.

Talkbacks (6)
JAKARTA - Indonesia's government has declared that the moon is not in the right position for the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan to end as expected on Tuesday, causing hungry disappointment in the world's most populous Muslim nation.

Indonesians, 90 percent of whom are Muslim, celebrate the end of Ramadan or Id al-Fitr festival with a feast and new clothes, but they have been forced to put their delicacies back in the cupboard for one more day.

Housewife Nur Arifah did not expect the announcement, which came late on Monday, and got up early that day to cook plenty of stewed beef for her family in Jakarta.


"My nephews and nieces have all gathered in my father's house to celebrate with new clothes, yet it's the wrong day.

"The market has already shut, so for me to be able to cook a new dish...we might as well eat instant noodles for Id al-Fitr," she said.

Many other Muslims who were set to start eating during the day returned to fasting between sunrise and sunset on Tuesday, while shopping malls pushed their closing holiday to Wednesday.

The position of the moon determines the start and end of Ramadan, and astronomers and Muslim bodies told the Indonesian government the moon was too low to herald Id al-Fitr.

But members of Muhammadiyah, the country's second biggest Islamic group, are still celebrating Id on Tuesday since some astronomers say it falls on that day. Other nations, such as Saudi Arabia, are celebrating as well.

Last year the country's highest Islamic authority admitted it had got the direction of Mecca wrong, causing havoc since it meant mosques were all facing in the wrong direction for devotees to pray facing Saudi's holy Islamic city.
Hungry Muslims dismayed after government in Jakarta postpones the end of Ramadan by a day, claiming the moon is not yet in the right position.

Talkbacks (6)
JAKARTA - Indonesia's government has declared that the moon is not in the right position for the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan to end as expected on Tuesday, causing hungry disappointment in the world's most populous Muslim nation.

Indonesians, 90 percent of whom are Muslim, celebrate the end of Ramadan or Id al-Fitr festival with a feast and new clothes, but they have been forced to put their delicacies back in the cupboard for one more day.

Housewife Nur Arifah did not expect the announcement, which came late on Monday, and got up early that day to cook plenty of stewed beef for her family in Jakarta.


"My nephews and nieces have all gathered in my father's house to celebrate with new clothes, yet it's the wrong day.

"The market has already shut, so for me to be able to cook a new dish...we might as well eat instant noodles for Id al-Fitr," she said.

Many other Muslims who were set to start eating during the day returned to fasting between sunrise and sunset on Tuesday, while shopping malls pushed their closing holiday to Wednesday.

The position of the moon determines the start and end of Ramadan, and astronomers and Muslim bodies told the Indonesian government the moon was too low to herald Id al-Fitr.

But members of Muhammadiyah, the country's second biggest Islamic group, are still celebrating Id on Tuesday since some astronomers say it falls on that day. Other nations, such as Saudi Arabia, are celebrating as well.

Last year the country's highest Islamic authority admitted it had got the direction of Mecca wrong, causing havoc since it meant mosques were all facing in the wrong direction for devotees to pray facing Saudi's holy Islamic city.

http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=235978

Hmmmm, funny news. Is Indonesia the only country who did this?

Idul fitri/eid al fitr is very important for the Indonesian economy. Just the news that its postponed one day destroyed some local economies.
Well done indo government. :P

naah .... it's happen all the time ....


some people just making the fuss out of it ...... it's just an old rivalries between MUHAMADIYAH and NU people ..... the rest just follow what the GO tells ........

oh yeah, i just read that here in the Netherlands most started it at tuesday, but the pakistanis here started at wednesday.