In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful

With the hope of uniting the Ottawa Muslim Community on the beginning and end of the month of Ramadan, Muslim organizations in Ottawa held a meeting on Sunday September 13, 2009 in order to discuss this issue. The result was an agreement between attendees that has shortly after gained acceptance from most organizations in the city. These organizations now collectively form the “Ottawa Hilal Committee”.

It gives pleasure to the undersigned Ottawa Muslim organizations to announce to our community that we have reached an agreement to adopt the following criteria to determine the beginning and end of the lunar months of the year:

1. Moon sighting in North America is adopted as the methodology to be used.
2. Astronomical calculations will be used to rule out sighting possibility.
3. Sightings using visual aid will be accepted.
4. The committee will exert all efforts to perform local sighting within the city of Ottawa with the aid of a local astronomer.
5. All committee members are expected to use their contacts in North America to convey verified and credible sighting reports to the “Ottawa Hilal Committee”.
6. The committee will also use sighting information from other committees in North America, such as (i.e. not limited to) the Hilal Committee of Toronto (www.hilalcommittee.com), Moonsighting Committee Worldwide (www.moonsighting.com).
7. Members are expected to share a list of their sources/contacts with the rest of the Committee members.
8. The Committee should work on implementing these criteria for all months of the year.
9. A meeting is to be held on the 29th of the month to take decision based on the above criteria, or otherwise decide the completion of the month 30 days.
10. A joint statement is to be issued by member organizations declaring the Committee’s decision around three hours after maghrib prayer on the 29th of the month.
11. Every member organization needs to appoint an official representative to the “Ottawa Hilal Committee”

We ask Allah SWT to purify our intentions and accept our efforts.

Signing Organizations:

1. Al-Sunnah Muslim Association (AMA)
2. Islamic Information Centre (Da’wah Centre – Downtown)
3. Islamic Society of Gloucester
4. Islamic Society of Kanata (ISOK)
5. Jamiatul Muslemeen of Ottawa-Carleton (Jami Omar)
6. Kanata Muslim Association (KMA)
7. Muslim Association of Canada (MAC) – Ottawa Chapter
8. Ottawa Muslim Association (OMA)
9. Outaouais Islamic Center (OIC – Gatineau Mosque)
10. South Nepean Muslim Community (SNMC)