Spain's Ramadan start sparks disagreement among Muslim community

The Islamic Commission of Spain (CIE), the official Muslim body in the country, found itself isolated over the start date for Ramadan.

On Sunday night, the CIE announced a March 12th start date, breaking tradition of aligning with Saudi Arabia. This decision was immediately rejected by most regional Islamic commissions in Spain, who issued press releases opposing it. Additionally, they instructed mosques to open for Tarawih prayers that same night.

Facing this opposition, CIE President Aymen Adlbi reversed course. In a press release, he acknowledged that most Muslim countries and the European Fatwa Council had announced a March 11th start.

«To preserve the unity of the Spanish Muslim community», he stated, «the CIE adopts the astronomical calculation system and declares Monday, March 11th, the first day of Ramadan».