Muslim Group in Spanish City Seeks Mosque Access During Ramadan Despite COVID Restrictions

"We have asked the mayor for permission for people to go and pray and be able to properly carry out their religious rituals in complete safety," explains Mourat El Boudouhi, spokesperson for the association. In Lleida, there are four mosques for a Muslim community of 5,000 inhabitants. The council has not yet responded to the request but points out that other Muslim entities in the city, such as the Ibn Hzan community, "do not share this proposal" and intend to respect the current health measures, adding that the regulatory competence lies with the Procicat.

The Watani association has also addressed the delegate of the Generalitat of Lleida, Ramon Farré, says Mourat El Boudouhi, who explains that Muslims must observe the fast and pray several times a day during the holy month. But with the curfew in effect, between ten o’clock at night and six o’clock in the morning, they will not be able to fulfill these requirements. "The Tarawih is the most important prayer of the day and can last until midnight," explains Mourat El Boudouhi, who asks the authorities to accept that "the Muslims of Lleida and all of Catalonia can go pray in the mosques even after the curfew".

The Watani association assures that all the necessary arrangements will be made so that the prayers take place in