The Qatari Calendar House announced that Thursday, corresponding to March 23, is the beginning of the blessed month of Ramadan for the year 1444 AH astronomically, according to accurate astronomical calculations conducted by the specialists in the house, and that Wednesday, March 22, 2023 AD is the completion of the month of Sha’ban for this year.
The Qatari Calendar House indicated that the legal decision to enter the blessed month of Ramadan for this year remains the prerogative of the Crescent Investigation Committee at the Ministry of Endowments (Awqaf) and Islamic Affairs in the State of Qatar.
Engineer Faisal Al-Ansari, Executive Director of Sheikh Abdullah Al-Ansari Complex, stated that the crescent of the blessed month of Ramadan for this year will be born on the evening of Tuesday, March 21, 2023 AD, at 8:24 pm Doha local time (5:24 pm UTC).
Engineer Faisal Al-Ansari added: It is impossible to see the crescent of the blessed month of Ramadan for the year 1444 AH on the evening of Tuesday, March 21, 2023 AD in the sky of the State of Qatar and most of the Arab and Islamic countries. Because the crescent will not have been born at sunset on that day.
Among the astronomical constants is that the movement of the moon in its orbit around the earth determines the beginnings and ends of the Hijri months, while the movement of the earth in its orbit around the sun determines the beginnings and ends of the Gregorian months.
OIC calls for intensive efforts to combat Islamophobia
The secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Hissein Brahim Taha, drew the attention of the UN and the international community to the negative repercussions of violence based on religion or belief, while underscoring the fact that religious hatred and intolerance must not be given space in any society.
This came in his video address at a high-level event recently at the UN General Assembly in New York to commemorate the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, in line with the relevant UNGA resolution adopted on March 15, 2022.
The event was chaired by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who is also the chair of the 48th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC.
The event was also attended by Csaba Korosi, president of the UN General Assembly, and Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the UN.
The OIC chief called upon all countries as well as international and regional organizations to commemorate March 15 as International Day to Combat Islamophobia, as part of their collective efforts to combat incitement of hatred and intolerance based on religion or belief and promote dialogue and mutual understanding.
Other high-profile speakers at the event included Miguel Moratinos, high representative for the UN Alliance of Civilizations, and Nazila Ghanea, special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief.
In addition, representatives of the UN member states and some international organizations made their interventions, where they expressed their commitment and support for the efforts undertaken to combat Islamophobia, discrimination and hatred based on religious belief.
