Hundreds of thousands of Muslims in The Gambia will celebrate Eid-Ul-Fitr today as the country’s Apex Islamic body backtracks on an earlier announcement that Eid will be on Sunday, 24th May.
The revised statement declaring Saturday as Eid came as a result od late reports of the sighting of the crescent moon in neighbouring countries in the sub-region. It brings an end to a month of fasting in fulfillment of one of the pillars of Islam, fasting in the month of Ramadan. Announcing Saturday as the day of Eid in The Gambia, the Supreme Islamic Council said in a written statement:
“The Gambia Supreme Islamic Council (GSIC), after our initial declaration, has received Confirmed News of the Crescent Moon been sighted in Countries in the ECOWAS Region such as Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Ivory Coast. Thus, the Council wishes to announce tomorrow Saturday 23rd May 2020 as the 1st day of Shawwaal. Therefore, tomorrow Saturday 23rd May 2020 will be observed as Eid-Ul-Fitr (Koriteh) in The Gambia. The Council wishes all Gambians Eid Mubarak!” Howver, Saturday’s Eid will be a sombre one as the usual congregational Eid prayer will not be performed due to state of emergency in the Gambia which bans congregations and large gathering due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Instead, Muslims in the country will perform the Eid prayer at home either individually or with family members.