Muslims Begin Second Ramadan Under COVID-19 Restrictions

"This Ramadan is not like the others. There are no family gatherings, no prayers at the mosque after iftar (the daily meal to break the fast, editor’s note), no tents, no tables where food is laid out for the poor as is the tradition," says Rima Qabalan, a mother from the Jordanian capital, Amman, to AFP. Muslims will thus live, for the second consecutive year, a Ramadan under health restrictions.

In France, the government has imposed a curfew at 7 p.m. As a result, there will be no night prayers. The Grand Mosque of Paris and the religious authorities have also advised the more than 5 million Muslims not to gather to break the fast. A traditional practice that carries risks in these times of Covid-19. Same story in Tunisia. The Tunisian government has imposed a curfew at 10 p.m. "Usually after breaking the fast, we go out, we walk around, we go to the medina of Tunis, to the village of Sidi Bou Saïd, we get some fresh air, we invite each other, the children run in the streets. [...] But this year, we’ll barely have time to take a little tour, it’s going to be sad, painful," explains Samira Khalifi, 45, a painter.

In Morocco, the government has imposed a curfew during the holy month. Nighttime travel nationwide from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., except for exceptional cases, is prohibited from this April 13. Tarawih prayers will not take place in mosques. In Saudi Arabia, the two essential Ramadan meals, iftar and suhoor, are prohibited inside places of worship. Only people vaccinated against Covid-19 will be allowed to perform the umrah or prayers in the Grand Mosque of Mecca.