International Astronomical Center

Kindly find below the official statement from the Higher Council in Saudi. In this statement they mention two important things:-

1. They ask the people to look for the crescent of Thul Hijjah on Sunday 09 January 2005 and Monday 10 January 2005.

2. They clearly say that no one saw the crescent of Thul Qeadah neither on Saturday 11 December 2004 nor on Sunday 12 December 2004. Isn't this a clear evident FOR THEM that they started Shawwal wrong!

We really feel it a big shame for Saudi to ask the people to look for the crescent on Sunday and Monday, when the Moon sets before the Sun on both days!

Kindly find below the official statement from the Higher Council in Saudi. In this statement they mention that Wednesday 12 January 2005 is the beginning of Thul Hijjah, and 21 January 2005 is the first day of Al-Eid.

Kindly find below the official statement from the Higher Council in Saudi. In this statement they mention that Tuesday 11 January 2005 is the beginning of Thul Hijjah, and 20 January 2005 is the first day of Al-Eid.

The AUASS Statement which criticized the Saudi date change of Thul Hijjah appeared in several newspapers and news agencies. Kindly find below some of these sites:-

So far, the earliest sighting of the crescent was on Tuesday 11 January 2005 from Iran by ICOP member Mr. Mohammad Zahed Aram.

Monday 10 January 2005:

• Nigeria:
• ICOP member Mr. Bashir Muhammad Sani said: "We went out to attempt seeing the crescent from 6:00pm local time (sun set is 6:15pm) to about 7:45pm (after Isha prayers) but the crescent was not visible. The age of the crescent here at Zaria, Northern Nigeria is just 6 hours (conjunction occured at 1:05pm local time) and the crescent is too young to be seen with the naked eye. It should be noted that the official date in Nigeria today is 30th day of Dhul Qida and tomorrow Tuesday, January 11 will be declared 1st day of Dhul-hajj."

• USA:

  1. ICOP member Dr. Raza Khan mentioned that he couldn't see the crescent by naked eyes! He added that it was partly cloudy and hazy.

  2. ICOP member Mr. Jim Stamm said: "We had only about 1 minute between cirrus clouds when the FOV was clear. 80% sure that I was on the right FOV, but no crescent was seen. I had precisely focused on Altair, but unsure of focus at the horizon."

  3. ICOP member Dr. Javad Torabinejad said: "Due to cloudy sky, sighting was not tried."

  4. ICOP member Dr. Muhammad Hafiz said: "I tried to observe the Hilaal on Monday 10th January, 2005 in Opa-Locka, Florida USA after sunset. The horizon was completely clear and no Hilaal was observed."

Tuesday 11 January 2005:

• Iran:
  1. ICOP member Mr. Mohammad Zahed Aram mentioned that he could see the crescent by naked eyes and by binoculars.
  2. ICOP member Mr. Majid Marzani: Not seen (Cloudy) "The horizon was completely cloudy & snowy ,I could not see the crescent."
  3. ICOP member Mr. Alireza Mehrani: Seen
     Sunset
     Crescent Moon Location: Esfahan, IRAN. Photographer: Alireza Mehrani
  4. ICOP member Mr. Reza Amirzadeh: Seen"I observed this crescent with Dr.Fatemi and Mr Doost mohammadi in " Haft bagh" high way."
  5. ICOP member Mr. Mousa Zamani: Seen "we observed this crescent at Akhtarnamay-e-Shiraz Company in Shiraz."

• Yemen:
• ICOP member Mr. Salem Jaidy said: "It was cloudy I could not see the crescent"

• Iraq:
• ICOP member Mr. Bacil Moudhaffar mentioned that he could NOT see the crescent by naked eyes. He added: "Before sunset, westren horizon was clear, then near sunset time, horizon became haze then cloudy."

• Kuwait:
• ICOP member Mr. Hussain Khshaish said: "In Kuwait on Tuesday 11 Jan 2005 I could sight the crescent. First my friend Shaikh Sadek BoAbbas saw it with 10*50 binocular at 17:06 then I saw it at 17:07 that's 1 minute before our local sunset. Then we saw it with naked eyes at 17:15 untill 18:05 with naked eyes & 18:06 with binocular where it disappeared in the glare of a flood light in the western horizon 7 minutes before our local moonset at 18:13. All the group of 7 persons saw the crescent with naked eyes. The sky was perfectly crystal clear after yesterday heavy rain ."

• Saudi:
  1. ICOP member Mr. Ismail Al-Abdulmohsen mentioned that he saw the crescent by naked eyes.
  2. ICOP member Mr. Hashim Salie: Seen "I am in Makka. I saw the crescent moon from the roof of Masjied al Haram. Sheikh Ajjelaan announced in his lecture the first night of Thil Hijja."

• Jordan:
• JAS member Eng. Tareq Hadi said: "The crescent was sighted 14 minutes before sun set through the telescope on 11/1/2005 16:43 Amman Local time. Only I and Radwan were present for the observation."

• Morocco:
• ICOP member Mr. Othman Fadli mentioned that he saw the crescent by naked eyes, binocular and Telescope.

• Algeria:
• ICOP member Mr. Bankih Kacem said: "The Dul Hidja 1425 crescent was seen just 01 minut after sun set from Merkich station/Mzab/Algeria."

• Kenya:
• ICOP member Mr. Gulamhussein Amjid Hussein said: Seen. "I sighted the new crescent in Mombasa, Kenya on Tuesday. It was thin and at a very low altitude."

• Nigeria:
  1. ICOP member Mr. Usman Duhhu said: "We did not attemp sighting the crescent today due to bad weather, here in Bauchi. The sky is full of dust blown from the Sahara desert."

  2. ICOP member Mr. Bashir Muhammad Sani said: "The age of the crescent here at Zaria, Northern Nigeria is about 29 hours after conjunction. However, haze, which has enveloped the skies over Northern Nigeria for more than a week did not allow the crescent to be sighted. It should be noted that the degree of visibility was so low that planes ferrying pilgrims for this year's Hajj could not take off or land for some few days as visibility was less than 100 meters."

  3. ICOP member Mr. Muhammed Ya'sin Qamardeen said: "None of our Observer across the country claimed any sigting of tyhe crescent perharps this is due to haze cloudy condition of sky for the past a week and half now. More so, the Nigeria authority on aviation does not allow any plane to make fligth on monday and tuesday due to bad weather."

• Senegal:
• ICOP member Dr. Abdoulaye Gaye said: Not seen. "DAKAR (Senegal) : 14° 32' 00'' N. 17° 42' 00 W. The height in my usual observation place is 10 meters (Dakar Plateau) the most westerly point of the African continent. Yesterday, the sky was hazy and I didn't see the crescent which was seen in many parts in the countryside."

• Bosnia and Herzegovi:
• ICOP member, Mr. Kemal Sehbajraktarevic said: "The observation has been made from the 950 m altitude hill. The moon has been seen as very thin crescent. Official Bosnian Islamic comunity start zul hidze today, acording the "moonset after sunset" criteria. Therefore, the eid will be also on wrong date."

• Germany:
• ICOP member Mr. Gerhard Ahmad Kaufmann mentioned it was totally cloudy.

• UK:
• ICOP member Mr. Arshad Baig: Not seen (Cloudy) "I am afraid we had thunders and floods on tuesday and a perfectly clear sunny day on wednesday, but thats British weather for you!"

• USA:
• ICOP member Dr. Muhammad Hafiz said: "I tried to observe the Hilaal on Tuesday 11th January, 2005 in Opa-Locka, Florida USA after sunset. The horizon was completely clear and the Hilaal was observed at 6:10 PM. The entire lunar disc could be slightly seen with the Hilaal horns pointing in a direction of 1 o'clock to 8 o'clock. Sultan Hafiz the Imam of Rose Hall Town Masjid reported the Hilaal was easily seen in Rose Hall Town, Guyana after sunset on Tuesday 11th January, 2005 at 6:05 PM (Guyana Time). The official first day of Zul Hijjah in Guyana and the USA is 12th January, 2005."

Tuesday 11 January 2005:-

1. Saudi
2. Kuwait
3. Qatar
4. Bahrain
5. UAE

Wednesday 12 January 2005:-

1. Malaysia
2. Iran
3. Morocco
4. Bosnia and Herzegovi
5. Senegal
6. USA
7. Guyana