Ramadan in Isolation: Muslims in France Face Solitary Fasting During COVID-19 Lockdown

Muslims in France will have a very special Ramadan. Due to the covid-19 and the confinement measure in force, gatherings are prohibited. Impossible to see family or friends to share the Iftar. The 5 to 9 million faithful in France will not be able to go to the mosque. Faced with this situation, the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) is proposing an alternative, reports huffingtonpost.fr.

The CFCM proposes that its website and its YouTube channel become places of renewal. To this end, it has called on members of the community to contribute to it through Quranic recitations, invocations, written or oral interventions. The idea is to focus on everything that can constitute an alternative to physical meetings in mosques. During this Ramadan in confinement, the Internet could become a precious ally to share a few moments of conviviality, for certain prayers but above all for the Iftar, insisted the CFCM. Virtual meals are encouraged by the CFCM. Mohammed Moussaoui strongly advises families not to gather. He rather urges them to respect the confinement rules, and encourages them to rediscover a conviviality that can be shared via screens and social networks.

There are very many Muslim faithful in France who will not be able to experience the reunions and communion that have always characterized the holy month of Ramadan. Jalil, a young Moroccan, is saddened by the situation. Like him, Layla Comstock, a Muslim in Pennsylvania, United States. They are forced to spend Ramadan alone, without family and friends. The Internet and social networks will be used to cope with the situation.

Confinement has disrupted the rituals of Ramadan. To overcome this situation, the CFCM has issued recommendations and set up online resources. It recommends the distribution of meals that comply with the current restrictions, but in agreement with the local authorities. A call for mutual aid between the various associative actors is envisaged.