The holy month of Ramadan began Monday in several countries around the world including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) announced that the fast would begin in France Monday evening.
Local media in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim country, also said fasting would begin on Monday.
Other countries in the Middle East and North Africa are also expected to begin observing Ramadan on Monday or Tuesday.
Muslims follow a lunar calendar and the start of the holy month involves the sighting of the cresent moon, which can lead to different countries declaring the start of Ramada n a day or two apart.

   
 
By Sunday evening, Pakistan and Iran had yet to officially announce the first day of Ramadan.
‘Fraternal prayers’
The observance of Ramadan, the “fourth pillar” of the Muslim faith, will coincide in France with the Euro 2016 football tournament (June 10 – July 10) and the baccalaureate high school exit exams.
“On this occasion, the CFCM would like to extend our fraternal prayers to all citizens, regardless of religion, origin or background, so that our nation will live in peace, unity and solidarity,” the group said in a statement on its website.

During Ramadan, Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, smoking from dawn to dusk.
The fast is broken with a meal known as “iftar”. There is a second opportunity to eat and drink during “suhoor” before dawn.
Ramadan is sacred to Muslims because the Koran was revealed to the Prophet Mohammed during that month.
Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan with a three-day holiday called Eid al-Fitr.
Source: FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP, 6 June 2016