JAKARTA/KOLKATA (INDONESIA/INDIA) – By wearing face masks and maintaining social distancing, Muslims across Asia took part in Eid al-Adha prayers on Friday in mosques with reduced capacity and on the streets.
As the world’s biggest Muslim-majority country of Indonesia struggles to contain the spread of coronavirus, believers were advised to maintain social distancing.
The religious ministry also advised mosques to shorten ceremonies and many responded by cancelling the ritual slaughtering of livestock and distribution of meat to the community.
Instead the donated sheep, goats and cows will be slaughtered in abattoirs as part of the celebrations of Eid al-Adha or ‘Feast of the Sacrifice’, which commemorates Prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail at the behest of the Almighty.
In Thailand and Malaysia, Muslims prayed in mosques and public places donning face masks.
In Malaysia, some mosques did away with the ritual slaughtering of livestock. At the Tengku Abdul Aziz Shah Jamek mosque in Kuala Lumpur, as many as 13 cows were killed in the traditional manner by slitting the throat, adhering to rules limiting the number of animals and believers.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is slated to take part in prayers in Kabul. Taliban militants have announced a three-day ceasefire as part of Eid.
In India, where Eid will be celebrated mostly from Saturday, several states have eased pandemic curbs, allowing believers to gather in mosques in limited numbers.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field