For the first time in cen­turies a major split within the five Shi­ites supreme ref­er­ences took place about the exact time to cel­e­brate Eid Al Fitr.

Aya­tol­lah Sis­tani decided that Thurs­day is the first day of Eid, while the four other Aya­tol­lah announced that Wednes­day [today] is the first day of the Eid.

Seen as a first dis­pute among the Supreme Cler­ics over cen­turies in pub­lic, this split came as unpleas­ant sur­prise for the Shi­ites com­mu­nity, raises doubts about the High-references unity.

In nor­mal sit­u­a­tion the high­est ref­er­ence cleric [Sis­tani] con­sults the other Aya­tol­lahs on such Shi­ites matters.

Inter­est­ing is that Iraqi TV adopted Sistani’s “date” and started to broad­cast cel­e­bra­tion Ads ignor­ing the other Aya­tol­lah announcement.

P.S.

Nor­mally, Shi­ites announce the Eid one day after the Sunnis.