QUESTION 1
How can Mrc explain the idea that the Muslim Governments can only solve the crescent sighting issue?
ANSWER
We the Muslims of Britain have equal rights as the other religious groups as claimed by the British government in all aspects of life as well as celebration of Islamic festivals, but without official holidays, which are given to Christians at Christmas, Easter and other festivals. If the holidays for these occasions were reduced and the rest of the holiday given at the time of the Muslim festivals, then the problem of the crescent sighting issue will be solved because the differences in days of festivals will be covered by the official holidays given to Muslims and the world moon sighting committee will no longer be required. In my opinion it is unfair to ask the British people to give up their rights on holidays at Christmas and Easter, therefore it is for the Muslim governments to help the British Muslims to solve the problem of Muslim festivals being celebrated on the same day in the whole of Britain or even in different towns or cities.
QUESTION 2
Why do various British Muslim groups celebrate their festivals on different days from each other?
ANSWER
Muslim countries have their own official moon sighting committees which announce the sighting of the moon and the decision is obeyed by the Muslims in those particular countries. Britain is a non-Muslim country which does not have an official moon sighting committee under the chairmanship of a Muslim scholar (Religious leader) authorised by the British government, so the British Muslims tend to follow decisions made by the moon sighting committees of various Muslim countries. Thus, celebration of festivals on different days are due to the sighting of the crescent in other Muslim countries or calculated data supplied by the Royal observatory.
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QUESTION 3
How can Muslim governments help the British Muslims?
ANSWER
Muslim countries are a member of an organisation called Islamic conference (O.I.C), which is one form of Islamic United nation. Any decisions taken by majority vote regarding trade and cultural issues are adhered to by all member Muslim countries. At present, it plays no role in terms of military action because a bill has not ever been put forward and debated by the O.I.C regarding defence and related issues.
The O.I.C. should set up a world moon sighting committee which will have a rotating head quarter. This can only be achieved if a motion is put forward by any of the member Muslim countries present at the Islamic conference. It is important to realize that the Muslims living in the U.K wish to unite and any decisions taken by the O.I.C. will be welcomed and acted upon.
NOTES:
1. A rotating head quarter is required because a number of groups do not agree on one particular country's decision at all times.
2. Politicians and government officials of any Muslim countries are the people who can only make it possible. After all they are the ones who can convince their governments and O.I.C to form a world moon sighting committee and control it.
3. The world moon sighting committee will consist of Ulma (Muslim scholars), Astronomers and others under the chairmanship of a religious Islamic leader. (stated by Alama Zafar Mehmood Frashwi).
QUESTION 4
How can a world moon sighting committee decide on what day the British Muslims will celebrate their festivals?
ANSWER
The world moon sighting committee whose decisions will be law, can devide the globe into zones (this would be in accordance with shar'iah law) and countries within one zone can start their festivals like Ramadan, Eids and every Islamic month on the same day.
For example: Zone 1- From China to Iraqi sea, Zone 2- From Iraqi sea to Libya, Zone 3- From Libya to the last part of Morocco, Zone 4- All America, Zone 5- From New Zealand to Malaysia. (These zones were mentioned by Maulana Samir-ud-din Qasmi of Burnley, U.K).
The approximate zones are introduced because some groups believe in receiving moon crescent sighting information from UK or nearest Muslim countries.
The need to introduce zones is important due to rotation of the Earth producing day light in some parts of the world while the night in the others. Also the above zones are chosen on a political and geographical basis.
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QUESTION 5
How will the moon sighting information reach the world moon sighting committee from all the Muslim countries?
ANSWER
The moon crescent sighting information received by local moon sighting committees of all Muslim countries will be sent over Computer Network (especially set up for this purpose) or faxed to the world moon sighting committee. This means that the flow of information will be fast and the Computer Network may also be used by the Islamic conference for security purposes.
QUESTION 6
Why should there be an observatory in every zone under the control of a world moon sighting committee?
ANSWER
A couple of groups do not believe in observatory information while the others base their formulae on the observatory calculations. This is of great concern to the Muslims who wish to unite. It is therefore vital for a world moon sighting committee to consider having an observatory in every zone under their control (Proposed by Javaid Sultan of New Garden Town, Lahore, Pakistan) for the purpose of knowing whether the methods of calculating the visibility of the moon are correct and why some groups claim that the information received regarding the sighting of moon crescent by naked eye prior to the sighting calculation is incorrect.
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QUESTION 7
How would the Muslim population benefit in the UK by the formation of the world moon sighting committee?
ANSWER
In Britain the beginning of Islamic dates will be in line with the member countries in one zone (these countries will be nearest to the UK as shar'iah requires) and any decision taken by the world moon sighting committee would have been thoroughly researched before any announcements, and Muslim festivals which are special occasions of celebration, will be held on the dates agreed by all Muslim groups in one zone. Obviously, the happiest occasion in the life of a Muslim and the Rule of Allah will be established on earth.
QUESTION 8
Is the head-quarter of the world moon sighting committee a problem?
ANSWER
Some groups believe that the holy city called Makkah in Saudi Arabia should be the Head-quarter of the world moon sighting committee because the house of Allah is situated in the city and is the Muslim centre of worship, and also Mohummed (peace be upon him) loved Makkah and said that the moon looked beautiful in this part of the world. (stated by Maulana Yaqub Ahmed Miftahi of Blackburn, U.K).
While other groups believe that the Makkah was never a centre of the Muslim world apart from performing Hajj (pilgrimage), even the capital of the United Muslim world was in Medina (second holiest city in the world) in Saudi Arabia during the time of the prophet. (stated by Dr. Bashir Ahmed, Middleton, Manchester, U.K).
Perhaps it was the wish of Allah (subhanata'la) to keep Makkah a peaceful city.
(It should be noted that when a war is fought between two enemies, the destruction of capitals or head-quarter is always a real possibility).