The puzzle over when Ramadan begins
Much hangs on the phases of the moon
It is not only the approaching winter which complicates the war in Afghanistan, the arrival of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan could present problems too. But when is Ramadan?
The signal to start the daylight fasting with which Muslims mark the holy month of Ramadan seems straightforward enough.
According to the Koran, if on the 29th day of Shaban (the eighth month of the Islamic calendar) a sliver of the new moon can be seen in the sky, the next day is the start of Ramadan.
If no trace of the moon can be seen, Shaban is deemed to last for another day and fasting begins at the following sunrise.
Reliable testimonies
Traditionally Muslims have reported their moon sightings to their religious leaders who decide whether the testimonies are a reliable enough basis to declare Ramadan begun.
With clouds, mountains or sandstorms blocking the view for some, Muslim communities even within the same region came unwittingly to different conclusions.
Some are of the opinion that the only true judge of the new moon's appearance is the naked eye and it wasn't until 1982 that Saudi religious scholars endorsed the telescope as a means of spotting the moon.
Other Muslims have argued that modern astronomy delivers such accurate predictions of the moon's phases that actually glancing up is redundant, specially since urban light pollution increasingly obscures the night sky for many.
Communications
Although Muslims now live at almost every longitude and latitude and communities can be separated by thousands of miles, modern telecommunications have made the discrepancies in declaring the holy month all the more obvious.
Last year, Iran and Senegal declared a 30-day Shaban, in the full knowledge that their near neighbours had begun to fast.
To add to the confusion some Muslim immigrants choose to ignore the skies above their adopted countries and begin Ramadan when it is observed in their home nation.
Clerics in Birmingham are among those who have declared they will observe the astronomical times and fast from dawn on Friday.
But many other British Muslims will wait for the first physical sighting in Saudi Arabia to be relayed to London.
Overcast skies could delay this happening until
Friday night, which means fasting will not start
until Saturday.
-- Anonymous, November 15, 2001