A less sacred Ramadan than usual

Ramadan is usually the most festive month of the year in the Muslim calendar. Although the days of fasting are difficult, the evenings of Ramadan lift spirits and invite joy and good humour. During the rest of the fast marked by the sunset, one often gathers with friends and family to share copious meals. In addition, household expenses generally increase by 30% at this time of year. This month of abstinence is also the month of excess. The frustrations of the day are drowned out in musical evenings that often last until dawn. 

This description was the norm before 2020 and applied to most Muslim countries, but with the advent of COVID-19, everything is different today.

We are in the middle of Ramadan, and all Muslim countries, depending on their culture and the means available to their hospitals, have prepared or decorated their hospitals to receive the holy month.

One of the key measures adopted by most Muslim countries is the ban on prayers and the continuous closure of mosques. But some countries are trying to return to normalcy despite the threat. Lebanon has reinstated prayer in mosques and churches.   

Pakistan, which has been under siege for five weeks, is slowly coming out of confinement and its mosques have again been opened for Ramadan against the advice of doctors in a country of 220 million people, where social protection measures are often lacking. Pakistan's hospitals are overcrowded and the peak of the disease has not yet been reached. It is difficult in this country and even for the government to prevent the fasters from praying collectively as part of the fast. It should be noted that the prayers tarāwīḥ, are daily prayers and are performed at night. And even if they are supererogatory, they attract many people and in some Muslim countries it is frowned upon not to perform them. Above all, because the end of Ramadan should be followed by a khatm, i.e. a complete recitation of the Koran.

For its part, Iran has followed the example of Pakistan in 132 counties considered to be at low risk of spreading the virus. But since the reopening of the prayer halls, there has been an upsurge in infection figures. Iran is the most affected country in the Middle East with more than 100,000 cases. According to the Ministry of Health, the faithful are required to wear masks and stay in the prayer room for less than half an hour, but these precautions have proved insufficient.

Despite the fact that the number of deaths continues to rise, Iran is attempting to carry out a deconfinement. The country, which is under a US embargo, is facing a serious economic crisis, accentuated by the cessation of economic activities. The country is on the verge of suffocation.

Far from the austerity of the mullahs, Indonesia, the largest Muslim country, has equipped itself with actors disguised as ghosts to avoid night-time meetings. The idea may seem absurd, but it works. Obviously, Indonesians are more afraid of ghosts than of the police. An effective approach that is enough to make India jealous as it has difficulty confining its population.

In Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has called for the reopening of the shops. In this only secular Muslim country, Ramadan is like any other day. People eat and smoke normally in Istanbul and are even allowed to drink beer with friends in the street. This is punishable by imprisonment in other Muslim countries.

Ramadan in Istanbul is usually marked by picnics in the streets and gardens to break the fast and the famous Taksim Square is transformed into a large stage where music is played while sharing the meals offered by the city. But the city nights are very quiet this Ramadan and the mosques still cannot be reopened. At night, the streets are practically deserted. In recent days, health measures have been reinforced, masks are distributed free of charge and public authorities and shops can measure the temperature systematically.

In Algeria, Ramadan has a taste of unfinished business. The Algerian authorities have introduced a curfew which has just been extended from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. until the end of Ramadan. The country is struggling to find a balance between containment and decontamination and, although the pollution figure is not very high, caution is called for and the mosques remain closed. Without going out, without meals to share with friends, Algerians are consoling themselves as best they can. During Ramadan, they are used to watching television at lunchtime. As tradition dictates, soap operas and comedies are specially designed for the occasion. But this year many shoots have been cancelled, scripts have been shortened, episodes have been cut... The recipes for success of previous years have given way to careless and hasty films. As a result of the races and like everywhere else, Netflix and other streaming giants have taken over. 

In Morocco, the time has come for introspection. The country has opted for severe confinement until May 20 with the possibility of an extension. The Casablanca ledge, which was not empty during Ramadan, has become a no-man's-land.

Tunisia, which is trying to return to normal, is struggling to find a balance. Tunisian Health Minister Abdellatif Mekki calls for restraint and caution and warns that a return to total confinement would be inevitable if "10 infections are recorded simultaneously in time and place, because this means that the chain of infection is back on track. Caution is also required in Egypt, which is already worried about the aftermath of Ramadan. Eid celebrations, which mark the end of fasting, rhyme with family visits and gatherings, which could well lead to an upsurge in infection figures. Deputy Speaker of Parliament Soliman Wahdan urged the government to take firm action before Eid Al-Fitr, including a ban on travel between Egypt's governorates.