French Muslims divided over Ramadan start date French Muslims are divided over whether to start Ramadan on Saturday or Sunday, following a dispute over the official signal: the visibility of a crescent new moon with the naked eye. The French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) has opted for Sunday, as have most major Islamic nations, but the Union of Islamic Organisations in France (UOIF) and countries including Turkey say that Saturday is the correct day. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES.