ISNA Phoenix Witnesses: Three or One?
ISNA Fiqh Council says that its unanimous decision to celebrate Eid al-Fitr on Thursday was made after its “Consultants” (Salamah and Mohib) authenticated sighting claims of three Muslims in Phoenix.
Were three or only one witness?
ISNA consultants checked only with one witness. He sent a Written statement: he saw an “illusive” moon for a few seconds. He also reported that another Br. … also saw it. The third witness (the Imam) disowned his sighting claim
Do ISNA Muftis know how to count?
Salamah’s Dubious Theory – A wild conjecture
Salamah’s e-mail a month ago to ISNA FC told them:
“…if there were any sightings he would not reject them outright.”
ISNA Muftis never asked Salamah: What is the ground for such a wild guess? Did he have any data to support his theory? It was especially important after all astronomical experts (RGO London, US Naval Obs.) were unanimous that the whole of N. America was outside all visibility curves, and the moon will not be seen with a telescope?
If Salamah could not back his theory with a solid observational data then it was just his imagination and ISNA should have rejected it.
Durrani’s Expertise?
ISNA statement also mentions:
“Dr. Durrani expressed his total surprise at the positional accuracy
of the sighting reports from the Phoenix witnesses.
Yes. Only Dr. Durrani could authenticate the “positional accuracy” of a strange-looking upside down crescent moon that extended from 7:00 to 2:00 on a clock. Nobody had ever seen such a moon anywhere in the world.
Last year he authenticated another upside down 10-12-2 on the clock Ramadan moon.
It shows how incompetent is he to evaluate any sighting report.
As long ISNA has consultants like Mohib and Salamah, Muslims in N. America will continue missing the last day of Ramadan fasting, and celebrate Eid al-Adha on 8th or 9th day of D. Hijja.
Jim Stamm as Supporting Evidence?
ISNA also listed Jim Stamm’s claim of a telescopic sighting on Nov. 2, 2005 to make naked-eye Phoenix sightings ’Credible’.
Jim’s claim is still debated by astronomical experts, especially after the fact that he was unable to show it to any other nine observers with him at the same spot.
Jim also discredited naked-eye Phoenix sighting claims as IMPOSSIBLE.
Moon Not Seen in S. Africa and South America
Observers in South Africa, Caribbean and South America (where telescopic sighting was possible) were UNABLE TO SEE moon on Nov. 2. Muslims there celebrated Eid on Friday. It creates strong doubts about Jim Stamm’s claim as well as all of North America was outside telescopic visibility zone.
Source: The Committee For Crescent Observation International
