Morocco’s Mosque Closures Spark Backlash from Salafist Leader Amid Coronavirus Fears

In the eyes of the Salafist Abou Naïm, the decision of the Supreme Council of Ulema to close mosques until further notice for daily and Friday prayers is not "legal from the point of view of Sharia." According to him, the "necessary conditions for such a measure are not met." He believes that the coronavirus in Morocco, for the time being, is not at a stage where drastic measures need to be taken. "The risks for the moment are simply estimated and not proven," he says.

"Instead of asking for the closure of places where decadence and lewdness reign, where the worst diseases and infamies spread, the Supreme Council of Ulema has preferred to close the mosques," fumes the televangelist, of Wahhabi obedience. According to him, this measure could "have more serious repercussions, given the divine wrath that they provoke."