Iran declares Saturday as first day of blessed month of Ramadhan

The office of Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has declared Saturday, April 25, as the first day of the blessed month of Ramadhan.

According to Press TV, in a statement on Friday, the Leader's office announced that the new crescent moon of Ramadhan could not be sighted on Thursday night in Iran.

Therefore, the statement said, the new lunar month of Ramadhan will begin on Saturday.

While Iran, Iraq and Oman, among others, have declared Saturday as the first day of Ramadhan, countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE, Malaysia, Egypt, Singapore, the Philippines, and Indonesia have announced Friday the first day of the blessed month of Ramadhan.

This year, Muslims around the world are starting to mark Ramadhan under the coronavirus lockdown with unprecedented bans on family gatherings and mass prayers.

The holy daytime fasting month will be a somber affair for many across Asia and North Africa.

Widespread rules have been imposed banning praying in mosques or meeting relatives and friends for large "iftar" meals at dusk.

In addition to the COVID-19 outbreak, several countries in West Asia are grappling with war and occupation.

Muslim people in Gaza Strip, the occupied Palestinian territories, have to fast the holy month under a longtime siege imposed by Israeli occupiers.

People across Yemen are also marking the holy month this year amid the Saudi war, seasonal diseases, floods and rising prices, in a country where the economic situation doesn't allow two thirds of the population to access or afford enough food.

SS