It is the second time that millions of Muslims worldwide have observed the fasting month of Ramadan under Corona conditions. It ends this Wednesday.
Riyadh (dpa) – For millions of Muslims, the holiday Eid al-Fitr on Thursday ends the holy month of Ramadan. The so-called sugar festival is again overshadowed by the corona pandemic this year.
Saudi Arabia, which is home to the two holiest places in Islam with Mecca and Medina, declared Wednesday (today) the last day of the month of fasting and Thursday the beginning of Eid al-Fitr. Muslims also celebrate oath on Thursday in Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The end of the month of fasting depends on the sighting of the new moon.
During Ramadan, which began in mid-April this year, devout Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex between sunrise and sunset. Fasting is one of the five basic duties for Muslims. Children in particular receive gifts and sweets on Eid.
Because of the corona pandemic, several countries in the Arab world have again restricted public life. In Iraq, where 1.1 million corona infections have been reported so far, a ten-day curfew will apply from Wednesday. Shops in Egypt have to close earlier than usual by May 21st. Exit restrictions also apply in Tunisia until Sunday. In Jordan, however, these will be relaxed from Thursday due to a falling number of new infections.
There are around 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide. According to a 2015 study by the Pew Research Center, most of them live in Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nigeria. This is followed by Egypt, Iran and Turkey.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210512-99-572793 / 2
