Lunar Calendar
I thank Mohammed Zamir for his fine PCP article on this issue. A couple of years ago, I had the good fortune to meet him and discuss with him my book Islamic Calendar: A Global Blueprint which clearly lays out a perfect mathematical lunar calendar based on mere counting of either 29 or 30 days alternately for Islamic months and a provision for a leap month every two years ( with some easily memorable exceptions).
This calendar can be applied globe-wise with complete confidence of its accuracy like the International Gregorian Calendar for thousands of years into the future without the need for sighting the new moon or Hilal as this fact is already taken into the calculations by means of provisions for proposed leap years.
The simplicity and accuracy of the Calendar beggars belief and it conforms to all known Islamic guidelines in the Holy Quran and Hadith. I have sent copies of my book to the present Secretary General of OIC soon after its publication requesting him to look into the proposals and hold scientific seminars and discussions on it in the OIC Forum. He has kindly acknowledged the receipt of my book with a promise to look into it, but this was about two years ago with no further progress.
Through your columns I would like to renew my request again to OIC, and the Bangladesh Government to put pressure on the OIC as suggested by Ambassador Zamir, to hold discussions in setting up an Islamic Calendar which will not require the moon sighting or consultation with sun/ moon conjunction tables and will be applicable throughout the whole globe. As a scientific day and date of the Gregorian Calendar is applicable throughout the whole globe for a solar calendar, similarly we must have a lunar calendar and an Islamic day and date applicable all over the whole globe, as is easily shown in my book.
Lastly, I would like to point out humbly that following Makkah timings is only a solution if we know beforehand (days, months, years etc like the Gregorian Calendar) what this Makkah timing is. If we do not know, but have to rely on proclamation from Makkah at a very short notice of couple of hours and without assigning any reasons for arriving at such proclamations, we would forever remain in darkness and controversy. Unless we have a calendar to scientifically forecast Islamic events thousands of years into the future, we have to wait for impromptu proclamations from Makkah.
I have also sent my book to well known Islamic scholars and universities and many heads of Islamic States with a similar request as made to OIC and hope scientific debates and discussions will take place on the topic soon.
Anyone wishing to have more information may contact me at my website:
www.oaktownpublications.com
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