LONDON: British Muslims have expressed their joy and relief at being able to worship communally in mosques after lockdown restrictions eased in time for Ramadan.
Last year, the holy month came as the UK and many parts of the world shut down amid the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic.
Muslims were forced to stay at home during Ramadan, a month usually characterized by worshipping with others and community gatherings. Many felt isolated and disconnected from their communities and routines as thousands of people died from the virus around them.
Striking images of the Grand Mosque in Makkah bereft of pilgrims and worshippers during Ramadan 2020 sent shockwaves through Muslim communities across the world.
“The most prominent image that I can think of (during the pandemic) is seeing the completely empty Grand Mosque in Makkah, an image that resonated with Muslims around the whole world,” the CEO of the Council of British Hajjis, Rashid Mogradia, said. “I never imagined that would happen during my lifetime or ever for that matter. It was quite upsetting.
“We took life and simple things like going to the mosque for granted.”
Although the pandemic is not over and the UK has lost 127,000 people to COVID-19 since it started, Ramadan 2021 is very different to last year.
Several vaccines against the virus have been developed in record time and more than ten million people have been inoculated in the UK so far, providing some protection and reassurance to society’s most vulnerable.
Lockdown restrictions in the UK eased on March 29, two weeks before the start of Ramadan. Unlike last year, communal prayer in mosques is allowed as places of worship were not required to close during the lockdown announced in January. However, strict precautionary measures have been in place to curb the spread of the virus.
Social distancing is being enforced, face masks must be worn, individual prayer mats and shoe bags used, and people are encouraged to perform ablution at home.
Only dates and bottled water are provided for iftar instead of full meals, and the length of the taraweeh prayer has been shortened.
“Ramadan 2021 is massively different to Ramadan 2020. There is an appreciation of the fact that you can enter mosques, break your fast and pray taraweeh,” Mogradia said.
“The mosques seem to look fuller than usual. That’s probably down to the fact that everyone is bringing their prayer mats and the social distancing. I am also seeing a lot more new faces at my local mosque. Those who didn’t come to the mosque as often are now attending, and that might stem from an appreciation for being able to perform prayers in the mosque. That’s really nice,” he said.
People in the UK are still not able to mix indoors with people they do not live with or who are not in their support bubble. This means that extended family iftar gatherings, a celebrated Ramadan tradition, are off the table.
However, Muslims are able to worship as a community during Ramadan 2021 and this has returned a partial sense of normality to the holy month. It has caused a surge in optimism and people feel less isolated and lonely because they are able to pray together and break their fasts, albeit briefly, with each other in the mosque.
“This time last year we were all on lockdown and we had to worship at home. Ramadan is about communal worship: Iftars and performing prayers and taraweeh together — that is back. We are able to move around and exchange Ramadan dishes with the neighbors,” Mogradia said.
“That whole community spirit is coming back and we actually feel as though Ramadan is here. Last year, we were confined to our houses. We are grateful that we have been given this opportunity. It also makes you reflect on how many people have passed away. It’s a great blessing to be able to partake in Ramadan again,” he added.
The secretary of Waltham Forest Council of Mosques (WFCOM), Said Looch, said that mosques have been working tirelessly to ensure the safety of their congregations and that COVID-19 precautionary measures are in place.
“From the mosques’ perspective, there has been a lot more preparation compared to previous Ramadans because of the precautionary measures that need to be put in place to ensure that worshippers are safe and following guidelines and protocol set by the government. Mosques have been working really hard to accommodate their local communities and we still want people to enjoy coming to their local places of worship,” Looch said.
He said that although communal prayer is back this Ramadan, sharing big iftar meals in the traditional sense is what a lot of people are still missing.
“Normally for iftar, huge mats are laid out and people bring lots of food to the mosque and everyone sits together. Sometimes you sit with your friends and at other times you share a meal with a complete stranger and become friends,” Looch said.
He said that keeping a one-meter gap between worshippers has reduced capacity by 60-70 percent in some mosques this Ramadan, and this has led to a change in ambience.
“Normally, when we pray in congregation, there is a real sense of brotherhood because you stand shoulder to shoulder with the next person. Now, there is a lot of space between people and so there is a different atmosphere,” Looch explained.
“The mosques are open but they are not fully functioning,” he added.
Looch said that despite all the restrictions to protect worshippers, mosques are trying to make people feel comfortable.
“We hope worshippers will get a spiritual upliftment from the mosque and that they feel like they have benefitted and want to come back again.
He added that a few Muslims had told him they had been more productive spiritually during Ramadan 2020 because they could worship at their own pace.
The media and communications manager for East London Mosque & London Muslim Center, Khizar Mohammad, said that although London’s busiest mosque is open this Ramadan, taraweeh prayers will be markedly different.
“The prayer will be shorter in duration, and people will be allowed to enter the mosque 20 minutes before and will be required to leave as soon as it is over. Volunteers encourage people not to socialize outside the mosque as they usually would,” he said.
Mohammad said that the popular mosque, which sees some 7,000 worshippers descend on it from around London on the first night of Ramadan for taraweeh prayers, will only be able to accommodate about 1,600 people due to social distancing measures this year.
Community spirit returns to UK’s mosques as Muslims enjoy easing of lockdown for Ramadan
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Community spirit returns to UK’s mosques as Muslims enjoy easing of lockdown for Ramadan
- Gloom lifted after last year’s holy month fell during strict anti-coronavirus measures
- Faithful revel in return to communal worship as restrictions eased across Britain
New Zealand hit by destructive winds, heavy rain and snow and high waves
- Thursday’s red wind warning for Wellington, at the southern end of New Zealand’s North Island, was the first time the capital has ever faced the most severe alert level
Heavy snow and large waves lashed other parts of the country. No deaths or serious injuries were reported. The extent of damage was not clear by afternoon, but evacuations were not widespread.
Thursday’s red wind warning for Wellington, at the southern end of New Zealand’s North Island, was the first time the capital — famous for its gusty gales — has ever faced the most severe alert level. Residents were urged to stay indoors, avoid travel and keep away from doors and windows as gusts of up to 150 kph (93 mph) posed a “threat to life” from falling trees and flying objects, the forecaster Metservice said.
Flights to and from Wellington were canceled throughout Thursday and passenger ferry sailings between the North and South Islands were halted until at least Friday afternoon. Metservice expected 5 meter (16 foot) swells in the Cook Strait, the body of water between New Zealand’s two largest islands.
About 1,000 properties were without electricity Thursday afternoon in the wider Wellington region, which has a population of 550,000. The city’s largest university closed for the day, the Royal New Zealand Ballet canceled an evening performance, and several schools sent students home.
Wellington is New Zealand’s windiest city — registering gusts at gale speeds of 63 kph (39 mph) on about half the days of the year. But Wellington’s emergency management chief, Dan Neely, warned residents to take the warnings seriously because the southerly tempest was unusually strong and could threaten lives, Radio New Zealand reported.
In the city of Christchurch, the largest on the South Island, and in some nearby rural areas, heavy deluges caused rivers to spill over their banks, closing roads and prompting fears the floodwaters could reach homes. Local states of emergency were declared Thursday, including in Christchurch, Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell told reporters.
Orange-level warnings — the second most serious — were issued across parts of both islands for severe rain and large sea swells, and in some South Island districts for heavy snow. The storm system that lay across much of the country Thursday was due to ease Friday.
New Zealanders are accustomed to wild winter conditions because of geographic features that produce variable and sometimes extreme weather across the country of 5 million people. But it was unusual that such widespread warnings were issued.
Man arrested in Japan after suspected car attack on children
- The driver was a 28-year-old man who lives in Tokyo
TOKYO: A man was arrested in the Japanese city of Osaka on Thursday after allegedly ploughing his car into seven schoolchildren in a suspected deliberate attack, local media said.
The children, who had been on their way home from school, were injured and rushed to hospital but all seven remained conscious, according to public broadcaster NHK and other outlets.
Police could not immediately confirm the reports to AFP.
The driver was a 28-year-old man who lives in Tokyo and Osaka police have held him on suspicion of attempted murder, the reports said, citing unidentified investigative sources.
NHK said the man admitted the charges to police and stated that he was "fed up with everything, so he rammed the car into them thinking to kill someone".
The car was "zigzagging" as it hit the children, with one girl "covered in blood and other kids suffering what appeared to be scratches", a witness told broadcaster Nippon TV.
The man was "wearing a surgical mask and looked like he was in shock" after he was dragged out by schoolteachers, Nippon TV quoted a witness as saying.
Top South Korea court overturns not-guilty verdict of election frontrunner
- The latest Gallup poll shows the 60-year-old Lee in a considerable lead with 38 percent of support while all his rivals are locked in single digits
- The election was called in the wake of Yoon’s impeachment over the martial law attempt
SEOUL: South Korea’s Supreme Court on Thursday overturned a ruling that found a presidential frontrunner not guilty of violating election law, potentially scuppering Lee Jae-myung’s chances of running in the vote.
The June 3 election will decide who replaces impeached ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol, who was removed from office over his ill-fated declaration of martial law.
Former opposition leader Lee was cleared by a lower court in March of making false statements during a previous campaign, removing a major legal hurdle to his latest bid.
But the Supreme Court has now ordered a retrial that could see Lee, who is leading in the polls, barred from the election.
The top court ruled there had been a “legal misunderstanding” resulting in his acquittal.
Lee’s statements during his unsuccessful run for president in 2022 were “deemed false claims concerning matters of sufficient significance to mislead voters in assessing the candidate’s suitability for public office,” the court ruled.
“A candidate seeking public office cannot be granted the same scope and degree of freedom of expression as that afforded to ordinary citizens when they express opinions or beliefs on matters of public interest,” it said.
If found guilty by a lower court, Lee would be prevented from running for office for five years and could face a prison sentence or a fine of more than one million won ($700).
The latest Gallup poll shows the 60-year-old Lee in a considerable lead with 38 percent of support while all his rivals are locked in single digits.
The election was called in the wake of Yoon’s impeachment over the martial law attempt.
While Thursday’s verdict was a blow to Lee, political commentator and attorney Yoo Jung-hoon told AFP: “It usually takes about three months for a lower court to deliberate on a case remanded by the Supreme Court.
“It will be extremely difficult for the court to issue a ruling before the election.”
Even if the court does rule against Lee, he could still appeal, which would “buy him enough time to win,” Yoo said.
Aside from the election law violation case, Lee also faces a string of other trials on corruption allegations.
Should he win the presidency in June, these proceedings could be suspended under presidential immunity, and would resume once his term concludes.
Acting president Han Duk-soo meanwhile resigned on Thursday, hinting at a possible presidential bid.
“Two paths lay before me: one is to carry on in my current role, the other is to step down and take on a greater responsibility,” Han said in a farewell address.
The 75-year-old is expected to formally announce his candidacy on Friday.
Kenya lawmaker’s killing ‘targeted and premeditated’ – police
- Charles Were, a member of parliament representing Kasipul constituency in Kenya’s west, was shot dead on Wednesday evening
- According to witnesses, the shooter was riding as a passenger on a motorcycle that stopped alongside the car
NAIROBI: Kenya’s police have said the fatal shooting of a lawmaker by a gunman aboard a motorcycle in the capital Nairobi on Wednesday evening appeared to be targeted and premeditated.
Charles Were, a member of parliament representing Kasipul constituency in Kenya’s west, was shot dead at around 7:30 p.m. (1630 GMT) when his vehicle was stopped at a traffic light on Ngong Road, police said in a statement released late on Wednesday.
According to witnesses, the shooter was riding as a passenger on a motorcycle that stopped alongside the car, police said.
“The pillion passenger approached the vehicle and fired shots at the passenger side before jumping back onto the motorcycle and speeding away,” police said. “The nature of this crime appears to be both targeted and premeditated.”
Political assassinations are unusual in Kenya, a relatively stable country in a region that has experienced several civil conflicts in recent years.
Were was a member of the opposition ODM party led by veteran politician Raila Odinga, who lost to William Ruto in the last election in 2022.
“Were is no more; mercilessly and in cold blood, gunned down by an assassin in Nairobi this evening,” Odinga wrote on X.
Odinga rejected the 2022 election result, alleging irregularities, but Odinga and some of his allies have since struck agreements to work with Ruto to address Kenya’s economic and political challenges.
Russia may have helped North Korea with new warship, Seoul says
- North Korea has said the destroyer, which it claimed is equipped with the “most powerful weapons,” would “enter into operation early next year”
SEOUL: North Korea’s newly unveiled warship could have involved Russian help, South Korea’s military said on Thursday while cautioning it was still conducting “a more detailed analysis.”
Pyongyang recently unveiled a 5,000-ton destroyer-class vessel named Choe Hyon that some analysts said could be equipped with short-range tactical nuclear missiles.
Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) spokesperson Lee Sung-jun told reporters in South Korea that Russia may have given help with the warship.
“Looking at the weapons and equipment that were revealed, we believe that there is a possibility that they received technology, funds or assistance from Russia,” Lee said.
“We are conducting a more detailed analysis.”
North Korea confirmed on Monday for the first time it had deployed troops to Russia to support Moscow in its war in Ukraine.
The two countries also announced this week that they had started building the first road bridge linking the two neighbors.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the first day of a two-day weapons test of the vessel this week, according to Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency, during which he ordered officials to work on “accelerating the nuclear armament of the navy.”
North Korea has said the destroyer, which it claimed is equipped with the “most powerful weapons,” would “enter into operation early next year.”
During the test, Kim said the North’s ship-based firepower system was “effectively combined” with the “most powerful strike means including supersonic cruise missile, strategic cruise missile and tactical ballistic missile.”
Lee said its deployment is likely to require more time.
“In the case of warships it takes several years to build and even after completion it takes additional time for them to become operational,” the JCS spokesperson said.
“So although the Choe Hyon has been unveiled it seems likely that considerably more time will be needed for its (operational) deployment.”
