Jakarta. The government and major Muslim organizations reached a general agreement that the fasting month of Ramadan will begin on Thursday, but the Indonesian Ulema Council, or MUI, said there could be different opinions about when it ends.

The announcement was made on Wednesday evening after a team of prominent Muslim figures from various elements confirmed the sighting of the first crescent Moon that marked the last day of the Sha’ban, the eighth month in the Muslim calendar.

"All praises to Allah that this year we all together will begin fasting tomorrow, March 23, 2023,” MUI Chairman Abdullah Jaidi said during a press conference at the Religious Affairs Ministry building in Jakarta.

"But we are anticipating differences for the first day of Syawal," Abdullah added.

The day right after Ramadan is known as Idul Fitri, the biggest holiday for Indonesian Muslims after a full month of fasting.

In the past, the country's two largest Muslim organizations Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah often found themselves in disagreements about when Ramadan begins and ends.

"We as Muslims and citizens must pay respect to each other," Abdullah said regarding possible conflicting opinions about Idul Fitri.

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