REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Minister of Religious Affairs Suryadharma Ali greeted Muslims on Eid al Fitr celebration. Indonesian Muslims will celebrate the Islamic festivity on Thursday, August 8, 2013. 

"Eid Mubarak Shawwal 1, 1434 Hijr to all Muslims," the minister said after a session on Wednesday to determine the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Shawwal 1. 

"May God bless our fasting and good deeds, then He include us among His devout believers," he added. 

The session was chaired by the minister on Wednesday evening and attended by a number of representatives from Islamic organizations as well as foreign diplomats. The participant decided that Wednesday was the end of fasting month so the beginning of Shawwal started on the next day. 

Minister Ali suggested that the police should allow Muslims who wanted to parade to celebrate the night of Eid al Fitr. He said that basically the parade was good tradition. Yet, he also asked people not to set off fireworks or speed during the celebration. 

Hijr Year is lunar year and its new month starts with the rising of new moon or hilal. Some Islamic organizations prefer determining the new month by local sightings of the new moon. But, some others use astronomical calculations to determine the new date. It is common in Indonesia to celebrate Eid al Fitr on different day due to different methods in determining Shawwal 1.

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