As can be established by the above computer generated chart, the birth of the moon (conjunction) for the Islamic month of Ramadan (H1421) will take place on the 25th of November 2000 at 23.12 and 25 seconds pm GMT. This is several hours after the sunset and obviously the sighting on this day is not at all possible anywhere on earth. However the first sighting of the moon will be possible on the American continent with an extremely minute chance of a sighting off the coast of Western Africa (but the chances of this happening are limited). Sightings over rest of the world will then gradually spread towards Pacific ocean and Polynesian islands. And by the time the sighting (the Dusk) reaches Australia and Indonesia it would have crossed the international date line, making it 27th of November for the region. Over the next few hours the evening, along with what should now be clear sighting of the moon, will spread over Indonesia, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Iran and then Saudi Arabia. This would mean that the first sighting in Mecca would be possible only and only on the evening of 27th November making the 28th of November a true date for Ramadan. This should also be the case for almost the entire Islamic block. Unfortunately, going by our experience of the past many years, Ramadan in Saudi Arbia is likely to be declared on the 27th November , a day too early as usual. Over a further few hours, the sighting will spread further west and reach rest of the middle east, most of Africa, eastern Europe, UK and West Africa, in that order, making the28th of November 2000 as 1st of Ramadan for 90 percent of the Islamic world. It is another matter that we would almost certainly will end up divided in controversy again. I hope I am wrong.

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