By Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka
Muslims in Sri Lanka will begin observing Ramadan from Saturday evening, and will start fasting on Sunday, the Colombo Grand Mosque announced.
Nazeer, the manager of the mosque, told Anadolu Agency that the first stage of the cresecent moon, the criteria used for deciding Ramadan's beginning, had been sighted in several parts of Sri Lanka. The date was confirmed after a meeting on Saturday, attended by members of: All Ceylon Jamaithul Ulama, Colombo Grand Mosque, Muslim Religious and Cultural Department, Sharia Council and Moulavis.
For Sri Lanka's Muslim minority, which consists 10 percent of the population, Ramadan starts shortly after attacks on their community by Sinhalese Buddhist nationalists. The worst attacks were on the towns of Aluthgama, Dharga and Beruwala on June 15, when three people were killed.
Fathima Farzina Aroos from Aluthgama told Anadolu Agency that Ramadan has been hard to prepare for, after the attacks. She said the attackers stole and damaged property that had been paid for with money earned by her husband, who worked in Saudi Arabia.
"They have broken our hearts, and it is impossible to heal the wounds. My son got infected after displacement, and admitted at the Colombo National Hospital, and he is discharged today," said Aroos. "I have witnessed the tragedy in front of my eyes, and I am not ready to welcome the Holy Month of Ramadan."
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