JAKARTA: Muslims in Indonesia will celebrate Aidilfitri on Monday, religious affairs minister Nasaruddin Umar announced tonight. He confirmed that Syawal will fall on March 31.
“Tonight, Tarawih prayers will still be performed across Indonesia. We hope that as a result of this meeting, all Muslims in Indonesia can joyfully celebrate Eid,” he said.
The announcement followed the conclusion of the Isbat conference (the meeting to determine the date of Syawal), which involved officials, ulamas, MPs and representatives of foreign embassies, including the religious attaché at the Malaysian embassy, Shamsuri Ghazali.
Muslims in the republic began fasting on March 1. Indonesia has the world’s largest Muslim population, comprising 87% of its 280 million people.