Lebanon woke up this Sunday with two time zones after the local government decided to delay the start of daylight saving time until the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
In a decree, the Lebanese executive decided to postpone the time change until 00:00 on 21 April.
Although Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati offered no explanation, the local press indicated that Ramadan was the reason, which would allow worshipers to break their fast an hour earlier.
Ramadan began last Thursday and will end in the Middle East on April 20th.
This government decision caused a wave of backlash, with some institutions rejecting the order.
Many Lebanese are forced to combine work and school time in different time zones.
In some cases, the discussion took on a sectarian character, among many politicians and Christian institutions, including the country’s largest church, the Maronite Church, which rejected the measure.
A statement from the Maronite Church explains that “the sudden decision to move daylight savings by a month, taken by interim Prime Minister Najib Mikati, in an impromptu manner and without consultation with the Lebanese and without regard to norms, is international, and due to confusion and prejudice (. ..) prevent the accession of the Maronite Patriarchate.”
For this reason, he added, “he undertakes to move the clock one hour at midnight from Saturday the 25th to Sunday the 26th.” [de março]”.
Other Christian institutions have taken the same position.
For example, the Notre Dame de Jamhour school released a short statement inviting “all parents, teachers and students to submit the schedule from Sunday evening in accordance with international practice and Lebanese law in place for decades.”
However, other officials have adjusted to the changes, such as the Lebanese airline Middle East Airlines, which has caused confusion over flight departure times, some people have reported on social media.
The small Mediterranean country usually sets its clocks forward one hour on the last Sunday in March, as do most European countries.