Muslims in Germany celebrate end of Ramadan

Cologne, Germany - Muslims in Germany marked the end of the fasting month of Ramadan with a flood of text messages, emails and faxes to friends and relatives on Monday. But because the new moon was not visible on Sunday evening, some continued to fast, according to Aiman A. Mazyek, secretary general of the Central Council of Muslims in Germany. Ramadan traditionally ends with the sighting of the new moon, 'but there are differing views about this,' Mazyek told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa. 'Some calculate the exact time of the moon's appearance, while other groups rely on a glance at the sky. Others still, like the Central Council of Moslems, use a combination of both,' Mazyek said. In terms of importance, the end of Ramadan is the same as Christmas, he said. Many people hold family gatherings, give presents to children and attend religious services. 'And mosques are bursting to the seams,' Mayzek added. German authorities estimate that 3.2 million to 3.5 million out of Germany's population of 82 million are of Muslim heritage, the bulk of them with Turkish roots. Others are of Arab or Balkan origin. © 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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Muslims in Germany celebrate end of Ramadan

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