Muslims begin marking a subdued Ramadan under virus closures

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Muslims worldwide began Ramadan on Friday with dawn-to-dusk fasting, but many will have to forgo the communal prayers and family gatherings that make the holy month special, as authorities maintain lockdowns aimed at slowing the coronavirus pandemic.

Ramadan is usually a festive season, with the daylong fast followed by lavish meals and evening get-togethers.

But this year many are confined to their homes, travel is heavily restricted and public venues like parks, malls and even mosques are shuttered.

Many are also weighed down by anxiety about the pandemic and widespread job losses resulting from the worldwide shutdowns.

“This is too sad to be remembered in history,” said Belm Febriansyah, a resident in the capital of Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation.

Jakarta is the epicentre of the outbreak in the country, which has reported more than 8,200 infections and 689 deaths. Passenger flights and rail services have been suspended, and private cars are banned from leaving the city.

Mosques in Indonesia’s deeply conservative Aceh province were packed, however, after its top clerical body ruled that it is not a “red zone” area and that prayers could continue.

The province is governed by Islamic law under an autonomy agreement.

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