What day once more? French Muslims confused and pissed off over rival Ramadan dates

[ad_1] This yr’s Ramadan, the close to month-long Islamic ritual of performing a day by day quick from daybreak to nightfall, had not even begun earlier than a dispute broke out between France’s essential Islamic our bodies over its official begin date.

Whereas the Grande Mosquée de Paris – a century-old Islamic establishment in France – declared that the fasting interval would start on February 18, France’s official Muslim council, the Conseil Français du Culte Musulman (CFCM), countered with one other date: February 19.

Social media instantly blew up with feedback from confused worshippers in France, which is dwelling to some 6 million Muslims.

“Is it tomorrow or not?” one fearful person requested on X after seeing the conflicting statements, whereas one other urged France’s Islamic establishments to return collectively and agree on one single date. “Or I’ll exit and test the moon myself!”

The French Maghreb-focused media platform Mediaterranee.com mentioned the rival dates had been more likely to disrupt households whose members often come collectively to interrupt the primary quick collectively. “Households discover themselves divided between those that start the quick a day earlier and those that wait till the subsequent day,” it mentioned.

Though it isn't unusual for international locations to choose completely different dates for Ramadan – some comply with the strict visibility custom, whereas others depend on scientific calculations, or a mixture of the 2 – it's uncommon for various dates to be set for a similar nation.

The Grande Mosquée mentioned it got here to its February 18 conclusion after “combining scientific calculations and lunar observations”. Its begin date will due to this fact coincide with that of Saudi Arabia – the birthplace of Prophet Mohammed – and international locations just like the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, most Gulf states and Libya.

Assertion from Mosquée de Paris on February 17, 2026. © FRANCE 24, screengrab The CFCM, then again, used strict astronomical standards, that means it set the date for a day later, together with Algeria, Belgium, Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia, Australia and another international locations.

A 3rd establishment, the French Muslim Theological Council (CTMF), additional muddied the waters by including a brand new argument to the combo: visibility situations had been met in French Polynesia earlier than dawn on Wednesday morning, declaring it the explanation for which February 18 needs to be thought-about Ramadan's official begin date.

Actual rivals However though the date conflict between the Grande Mosquée and the CFCM could boil right down to completely different methodologies, the disagreement additionally displays a long-standing rivalry between France’s key Islamic establishments.

The Grande Mosquée is France’s oldest mosque, inaugurated in 1926 to honour the fallen Muslim troopers who fought for France in World Battle I, and was lengthy the Islamic establishment in France. Over the previous few years it has additionally hosted an imam coaching centre.

The CFCM was based in 2003 on the initiative of then inside minister Nicolas Sarkozy. It was meant to function the state’s solely interlocutor on points associated to Muslim worship in France, and ensure the nation's 1905 regulation on secularism was revered. However infighting between its essential branches – the Morocco-linked Nationwide Federation of Muslims of France (FNMF), the Muslim Brotherhood-aligned Union of Islamic Organisations of France (UOIF), and the Algeria-backed Grande Mosquée de Paris – shortly weakened the physique.