Moonsighting and GITEX

On the 29th day of each month, the Moonsighting Committee must go out at sunset and look for a crescent. If they see one, it is the first day of the new month; if they don't, it is the 30th day of the old month. This is particularly important in Sha'ban and Ramadan.

Next Tuesday will be the 29th of Sha'ban, so the Moonsighting Committee must go out at sunset.

According to Farook, there is a cash award to the first person who sees the moon on the 29th of Sha'ban, so, beginning some time well before sunset, several people will see the crescent. Sometimes, again according to Farook, some people manage to see several crescents and feel they should be given the cash award for each one.

Which means that the last day of GITEX may well be the first day of Ramadan, as is indicated by one of the two Islamic calendars on my computer (my other Islamic calendar says the first day of Ramadan will be on Thursday, the day after GITEX).

Several of the biggest participants in GITEX have decided to skip this year, giving various reasons unrelated to the extreme heat or to Ramadan.

So it remains to be seen if GITEX 2007 will be, like all previous GITEXes, the 'biggest GITEX ever.'

Next year, Ramadan will start in August, so GITEX 2008 will have to be scheduled after Ramadan, and should definitely exceed GITEX 2007.