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Muslims start Ramadan under lockdown

Published : Saturday, 25 April, 2020 at 12:00 AM  Count : 337

JAKARTA, Apr 24: Muslims across the world began marking the holy month of Ramadan under unprecedented coronavirus lockdowns on Friday as the US added another half a trillion dollars to an economic support package and Europe groped towards its own huge rescue plan.
The virus has upended life around the planet as nations try to stop the spread of the disease that has so far claimed more than 190,000 lives, infected 2.7 million people and hammered the global economy.
Ramadan spirits have been dampened by movement restrictions on hundreds of millions of Muslims from Southeast Asia to the Middle East and Africa, with bans on prayers in mosques and large gatherings of families and friends to break the daily fast -- a centrepiece of the month.
But despite the coronavirus threat, clerics and conservatives in many countries including Bangladesh, Pakistan and Indonesia -- the world's largest Muslim-majority nation -- have pushed back against social distancing rules, refusing to stop gatherings in mosques.
Several thousand people attended evening prayers on Thursday at the biggest mosque in the capital of Indonesia's conservative Aceh province, and there were similar scenes at many sites in Pakistan.
"I'm not worried because I'm wearing a face mask and keeping my distance," said Cut Fitrah Riskiah, one of those in attendance at the biggest mosque in Aceh's capital.
The World Health Organization has called for a stop to some Ramadan activities to lower the risk of infections, and authorities in several countries have explicitly warned of the threat from large religious gatherings.    -AFP

















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