Iran’s mosques remain shut as Ramadan gets under way

Mosques and mausoleums are to stay shut in Iran, while Friday prayers remain suspended despite the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, President Hassan Rowhani announced on Sunday.

The Islamic republic has been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic, with the death toll rising above 5,700 on Sunday and infections exceeding 90,000, according to Health Ministry data.

The country will be divided into three zones, Rowhani said: white for areas that are free of the pandemic, yellow for endangered areas and red for high-risk regions.

“As soon as a city is categorized by the Health Ministry as a white zone, holy sites will reopen there and Friday prayers will resume,” Rowhani said, without giving details on how soon that might be.

The decision deals a blow to the country’s powerful clergy, which had pushed for a reopening of holy sites after the start of Ramadan in particular. The Health Ministry opposed the move, due to the high risk of infection, prompting hefty debates in recent weeks.

Rowhani’s advisor Hesameddin Ashena described the latest discussions on Sunday as “extremely difficult and controversial,” in comments on Twitter.

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“Unfortunately, we will have to live with the coronavirus for a while longer,” Rowhani said, adding that as a cleric, he had hoped that religious sites could reopen more quickly.

The government is planning to introduce the mandatory use of masks and gloves on public transport, the president said, according to his website.

Ramadan – a time of intense worshipping during which observant Muslims abstain from eating, drinking and smoking during daylight hours – began on Friday. (dpa)