Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) Chairman Hassan Ole Naado has criticized the government for not consulting the Muslim community before declaring Friday a public holiday to commemorate Idd-Ul-Fitr.
He expressed concern that the government's announcement could be confusing, particularly for those living in rural areas who may break their fast on the wrong day.
Naado argued that the government should have waited until the 30th day of the previous month before drafting the holiday to avoid confusion and potential misinterpretations.
“This is confusing and some people more so those in the rural areas may just follow and break their fast on Friday even if the moon is not sighted," Naado said.
“The government should have consulted Muslims before making the decision. The safest way to have done it was to draft the holiday after the 30th day. This is a big mistake and misleading.”
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Naado further stated that only the Chief Kadhi should pronounce the end of the holy month of Ramadhan and not the government.
He urged the Muslim community in Kenya to follow the religious norm of sighting the moon to determine the end of the holy month of Ramadhan instead of relying on the government's declaration.
“I urge our Muslim brothers and sisters to stick to our religious norm of sighting of the moon and not declaration by the government,” he added.
Naado's statement suggests that some members of the Muslim community may not follow the government's announcement and may instead rely on traditional methods to determine the start of Ramadhan.
The government's decision to declare the start of Ramadan has sparked mixed reactions among the Muslim community, with some for adherence to traditional methods.
