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| Indonesia’s Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas announced in a televised address Monday evening that the new Ramadan moon had been spotted. The holy month is marked by intense prayer, dawn-to-dusk fasting and nightly feasts. (Photo from Bahrain News Agency) |
[Asia News Communication = Reporter Reakkana] Muslims in Indonesia start marking Ramadan with communal prayers on Tuesday (Apr 13) in a socially distanced contrast to the empty mosques of a year ago when Islam's holiest month coincided with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, AP reported.
Coronavirus cases rise in the world’s most populous Muslim nation, but vaccines are administered while the government loosens restrictions. Mosques were allowed to open for Ramadan prayers with strict health protocols in place, and with malls and cafes open, passers-by could again see curtains shielding the sight of food from people fasting. Indonesia's Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas announced in a televised address Monday evening that the new moon had been spotted. The holy month is marked by intense prayer, dawn-to-dusk fasting, and nightly feasts.
Last year, authorities shuttered all mosques and clerics issued a fatwa, or edict, urging Muslims to pray at home over the holy month rather than congregate in crowded spaces and risk spreading the virus. Muslims this year are expecting a virus resurgence but all mosques will be continuing to adhere to social distancing and other precautions, which will significantly reduce crowds, said Nasaruddin Umar, imam of Jakarta’s Istiqlal grand mosque. Indonesia is the worst-hit country in Southeast Asia with more than 1.5 million infections as of Monday and more than 42,600 deaths.
