Moon-sighting 'enigma'

Like ever before, this year too, the moon-sighting for Ramazan was not controversy-free. The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee didn't sight the moon on Sunday evening and announced that the holy month of Ramazan would start from Tuesday, May 7. The committee's version was in line with its prediction. But, as almost always, the Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai-led unofficial moon-sighting committee announced Sunday night that moon was sighted, and therefore the faithful would start fasting in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from Monday. If the two committees have differed on moon-sighting that's not strange, and may well be the actuality. While the moon was sighted in Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Middle East on Sunday night it was not sighted in India, Bangladesh and some other countries in Asia and Africa. Since interstellar geometry has its own parameters and those may not fit the national borders on planet Earth it is quite possible that the moon which was sighted in parts of KP was missing from the sky that was under close observation of the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee members in Karachi, even when equipped with most powerful binoculars.
There is nothing new about this moon-sighting mismatch. What is new, and quite startling, is our new science and technology minister Fawad Chaudhry's take on this controversy. His beef with Ruet-e-Hilal Committee is quite expensive, as it spends something Rs 4 million on moon-sighting every year. He told a newsman that a "scientific committee" will replace the Mufti Munib-ur-Rehman-headed Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee. The proposed committee, he said, will consist of three scientists and one member each from Suparco and the Met Office. Instead of spending so much on moon-sighting and even then being unable to evolve consensus on important dates of Islamic calendar the government will prepare a calendar for 10 years ditching the need for moon-sighting physically. And after 10 years the latest technology would be employed to ascertain 'birth of moon more accurately'. But as he also admitted that on sighting the moon there was difference between Imam Hanbal and Imam Shaafi. "Imam Hanbal supported physical sighting of moon while Imam Shaafi recommended scientific ways for it".
As expected, the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee chief has rejected the science minister's scheme, insisting the minister was "unaware of religious matters". Similar voices have been raised by many other religious leaders. But the question whether Fawad Chaudhry's scheme is really out of his pail, both as science minister and vocal exponent of 'Naya Pakistan', has its answer in the negative. Saudi Arabia and many other Muslim countries follow physical moon-sighting for Ramazan and other holy days, but Turkey and quite a few Muslim-majority countries in Asia and Africa use Islamic calendar which is calculated several years in advance. In fact, both physical sighting and calendar-indicated dates are same thing. But what really matters is direction of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) that in order to determine the beginning of Ramazan and Shawwal "observe the new moon". Fawad Chaudhry may take some time to know that the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee comprises, among others, quite a few scientists. But relevant to this whole saga of moon-sighting is his news-breaking talent, which begs fuller exploitation by his higher-ups in his government. He seems to have acquired expertise in diverting vox populi's focus from critical issues besetting his government to non-issues. He also says that 'decision to run the country can't be left to Maulana, as most of the Ulema were against the creation of Pakistan'. If the minister's leader is looking for 'Naya Pakistan' then that is in the future, and not in the past. And, mind you the history you read is always different from the history you live.