Beirut
(AsiaNews) - The feast of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan - a month of fasting - begins
today for the majority of the
Arab countries. The announcement of
the sighting of the new moon,
which marks the beginning of a new month
and the end of the month of Ramadan, was given yesterday by the Saudi authorities, then followed by other Islamic
authorities in the region.
Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, Syria, UAE, Tunisia, Egypt also
have their decreed that the feast
of Eid begins today.
Instead in the Shiite
world the festival of Eid begins
tomorrow. This is the case in Iran,
as among most of
the Shiite community in Lebanon.
During the month of Ramadan, Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, sexual intercourse from dawn to sunset. According to tradition, the month of
Ramadan commemorates the month Muhammad received the revelation
of the Koran.
The Ramadan fast is one of the five pillars of the Islamic faith.