In shadow of coronavirus, Muslims face a Ramzan like never before
Holiest month
The holiest month in the Islamic calendar is one of family and togetherness: community, reflection, charity and prayer.
Never witnessed before
With shuttered mosques, coronavirus curfews and bans on mass prayers from Senegal to Southeast Asia, some 1.8 billion Muslims are facing a Ramzan like never before.
Anxiety
Across the Muslim world the pandemic has generated new levels of anxiety ahead of the holy fasting month, which begins on Friday.
Gloominess and uncertainty
In Jordan the government, in coordination with neighbouring Arab countries, is expected to announce a fatwa outlining what Ramzan rituals will be permitted, but for millions of Muslims, it already feels so different.
From Africa to Asia, the coronavirus has cast a shadow of gloom and uncertainty.
Worst year ever
During Ramzan, street traders in the Egyptian capital stack their tables with dates and apricots, sweet fruits to break the fast, and the city’s walls with towers of traditional lanterns known as "fawanees".
But this year, authorities have imposed a night curfew and banned communal prayers and other activities, so not many people see much point in buying the lanterns.
Iftaar
In Algeria, restaurant owners are wondering how to offer iftar to the needy when their premises are closed, while charities in Abu Dhabi that hold iftar for low-paid South Asian workers are unsure what to do with mosques now closed.
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