This article is from the source 'washpo' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/after-virus-outbreak-tied-to-religious-event-malaysia-puts-the-brakes-on-ramadan/2020/04/28/f1fcdf78-8867-11ea-80df-d24b35a568ae_story.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=wp_world
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 3 | Version 4 |
---|---|
After virus outbreak tied to religious event, Malaysia puts the brakes on Ramadan | After virus outbreak tied to religious event, Malaysia puts the brakes on Ramadan |
(about 16 hours later) | |
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Over several days in late February, at least 12,500 Muslims convened at the Jamek Mosque on Kuala Lumpur's outskirts to pray, eat and listen to sermons in an annual act to renew their faith. | KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Over several days in late February, at least 12,500 Muslims convened at the Jamek Mosque on Kuala Lumpur's outskirts to pray, eat and listen to sermons in an annual act to renew their faith. |
On the eve of the gathering in the suburb of Sri Petaling — organized by Jemaah Tabligh Malaysia, the local chapter of a religious pilgrimage movement founded in India about a century ago — the World Health Organization had not yet declared the novel coronavirus a pandemic, and Malaysia had 22 reported cases. Initially, the event came and went as it had in years before. | On the eve of the gathering in the suburb of Sri Petaling — organized by Jemaah Tabligh Malaysia, the local chapter of a religious pilgrimage movement founded in India about a century ago — the World Health Organization had not yet declared the novel coronavirus a pandemic, and Malaysia had 22 reported cases. Initially, the event came and went as it had in years before. |
The first sign of trouble came March 9, when a participant from Brunei was reported to be infected. A few days later, a Malaysian participant tested positive. By March 17, cases linked to the religious celebration had become Malaysia’s largest cluster and now account for 37 percent of its total of almost 6,000 cases. Some of the 1,500 foreign attendees carried the virus home to Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. | The first sign of trouble came March 9, when a participant from Brunei was reported to be infected. A few days later, a Malaysian participant tested positive. By March 17, cases linked to the religious celebration had become Malaysia’s largest cluster and now account for 37 percent of its total of almost 6,000 cases. Some of the 1,500 foreign attendees carried the virus home to Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. |
With the holy month of Ramadan underway, this year’s religious festivities are unlike any in memory. It’s a time when Muslims usually come together to break their dawn-to-sunset fast with family and friends, and for nightly prayers at mosques. But such activities now pose a risk of coronavirus transmission. | With the holy month of Ramadan underway, this year’s religious festivities are unlike any in memory. It’s a time when Muslims usually come together to break their dawn-to-sunset fast with family and friends, and for nightly prayers at mosques. But such activities now pose a risk of coronavirus transmission. |
Two weeks after the Kuala Lumpur event, about 9,000 Muslims gathered in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, as part of another tabligh chapter — until authorities shut it down. Attendees spread the virus to neighboring countries, including Malaysia and Thailand. | Two weeks after the Kuala Lumpur event, about 9,000 Muslims gathered in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, as part of another tabligh chapter — until authorities shut it down. Attendees spread the virus to neighboring countries, including Malaysia and Thailand. |
“Ramadan is a very high-risk event,” said Pandu Riono, an epidemiologist at the University of Indonesia. “The infections from the tabligh gathering in South Sulawesi spread to many different islands. Then you have all these small clusters around the country that can become a big fire engulfing the whole country.” | “Ramadan is a very high-risk event,” said Pandu Riono, an epidemiologist at the University of Indonesia. “The infections from the tabligh gathering in South Sulawesi spread to many different islands. Then you have all these small clusters around the country that can become a big fire engulfing the whole country.” |
Indonesia, the largest Muslim-majority nation, recently banned people from traveling back to their hometowns in an exodus that traditionally happens at the end of Ramadan for the Eid al-Fitr holiday. Yet it has not imposed a national lockdown, and social distancing measures vary among provinces. | Indonesia, the largest Muslim-majority nation, recently banned people from traveling back to their hometowns in an exodus that traditionally happens at the end of Ramadan for the Eid al-Fitr holiday. Yet it has not imposed a national lockdown, and social distancing measures vary among provinces. |
Sign up for our Coronavirus Updates newsletter to track the outbreak. All stories linked in the newsletter are free to access. | Sign up for our Coronavirus Updates newsletter to track the outbreak. All stories linked in the newsletter are free to access. |
“It’s going to be very difficult to keep the people from going to the mosque every night,” or dropping by a relative’s house to break fast together, Riono said. Indonesia has more than 9,000 coronavirus cases and 700 deaths. | “It’s going to be very difficult to keep the people from going to the mosque every night,” or dropping by a relative’s house to break fast together, Riono said. Indonesia has more than 9,000 coronavirus cases and 700 deaths. |
In Malaysia, the government has extended restrictions on movement until at least May 12 — midway through Ramadan. The country has closed its borders, banned events and gatherings, shut schools and houses of worship, and allowed only essential businesses to operate. Most people can travel only for necessities — exceptions require police approval — within six miles of their home, with one person allowed in each car. | In Malaysia, the government has extended restrictions on movement until at least May 12 — midway through Ramadan. The country has closed its borders, banned events and gatherings, shut schools and houses of worship, and allowed only essential businesses to operate. Most people can travel only for necessities — exceptions require police approval — within six miles of their home, with one person allowed in each car. |
Centuries-old Ramadan traditions and practices upended by coronavirus | Centuries-old Ramadan traditions and practices upended by coronavirus |
“We have leaders who decided to be brave and initiated the lockdown relatively early in comparison with other countries, once we knew we had made a mistake,” said Nirmala Bhoo Pathy, an epidemiologist at the University of Malaya. The Health Ministry did not respond to requests for comment. | |
Malaysia’s Islamic affairs minister, Zulkifli Mohamad al-Bakri, has advised Muslims to order food and have it delivered to friends and relatives instead of visiting them at home. Officials have also halted the food bazaars that normally pop up across the country and have established a fund for mosques and prayer houses to distribute food to the needy. | Malaysia’s Islamic affairs minister, Zulkifli Mohamad al-Bakri, has advised Muslims to order food and have it delivered to friends and relatives instead of visiting them at home. Officials have also halted the food bazaars that normally pop up across the country and have established a fund for mosques and prayer houses to distribute food to the needy. |
“We should welcome Ramadan with the new normal,” Zulkifli said on the eve of the holy month. | “We should welcome Ramadan with the new normal,” Zulkifli said on the eve of the holy month. |
As the world battles the pandemic, the Kuala Lumpur mosque gathering highlights how a localized hot spot can quickly become a wider outbreak. | As the world battles the pandemic, the Kuala Lumpur mosque gathering highlights how a localized hot spot can quickly become a wider outbreak. |
Attendees have reportedly said that precautions against the coronavirus were not observed, and that people prayed closely together and shared food. | |
By late March, the mosque cluster had spread to five generations as family members infected neighbors, their neighbors infected their friends, and so on. Participants in the gathering also had visited Islamic schools, contributing to new subclusters of infections among students and teachers. | By late March, the mosque cluster had spread to five generations as family members infected neighbors, their neighbors infected their friends, and so on. Participants in the gathering also had visited Islamic schools, contributing to new subclusters of infections among students and teachers. |
In early April, Malaysian officials said about 3,000 tabligh participants had yet to be screened — in part because some had gone abroad. One of the organizers, Abdullah Cheong, publicly disputed this figure, citing discrepancies in earlier estimates. Cheong declined to comment further about the gathering when contacted by The Washington Post. | |
Washington’s Muslim community begins a Ramadan like no other | Washington’s Muslim community begins a Ramadan like no other |
Khairi Akbar, a 41-year-old Malaysian who took part in the gathering, learned in March that he was an asymptomatic carrier of the virus. After being admitted to the hospital for 18 days and self-quarantined for another 14, he was looking forward to spending Ramadan at home with his wife and children — although he worries about his mother, who lives alone in another state. | |
“We believe that Allah is the doer of all things, so even if the current situation means that we cannot perform our normal prayers in the mosque, there must be something that he wants us to learn,” he said. “I believe we can achieve the same purpose of Ramadan staying in our homes, but I definitely miss breaking fast together at the mosque and doing prayers at night.” | “We believe that Allah is the doer of all things, so even if the current situation means that we cannot perform our normal prayers in the mosque, there must be something that he wants us to learn,” he said. “I believe we can achieve the same purpose of Ramadan staying in our homes, but I definitely miss breaking fast together at the mosque and doing prayers at night.” |
To deter people from contravening stay-home orders, Defense Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said police would increase roadblocks around the country. Eleven temporary prisons have been set up to house violators, he said. Since March 18, more than 19,000 have been arrested. Some have since been released, others fined or imprisoned. | To deter people from contravening stay-home orders, Defense Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said police would increase roadblocks around the country. Eleven temporary prisons have been set up to house violators, he said. Since March 18, more than 19,000 have been arrested. Some have since been released, others fined or imprisoned. |
The clampdown appears to be having an effect. In recent days, Malaysia has registered daily cases of the coronavirus in the double digits — down from a high of more than 200 in early April. Malaysia’s director general of health, Noor Hisham Abdullah, recently said the country is in “the recovery phase.” | The clampdown appears to be having an effect. In recent days, Malaysia has registered daily cases of the coronavirus in the double digits — down from a high of more than 200 in early April. Malaysia’s director general of health, Noor Hisham Abdullah, recently said the country is in “the recovery phase.” |
“But it’s not impossible to have an exponential surge if we let our guard down,” he added. | “But it’s not impossible to have an exponential surge if we let our guard down,” he added. |
Rahmah Ghazali, a 36-year-old freelance journalist who is normally based in Britain, said her family could still mark Ramadan together but that they have had to modify their plans. She has been living with her husband and two sisters in her parents’ house in Kajang, near Kuala Lumpur, with her parents’ domestic helper and their seven grandchildren. | Rahmah Ghazali, a 36-year-old freelance journalist who is normally based in Britain, said her family could still mark Ramadan together but that they have had to modify their plans. She has been living with her husband and two sisters in her parents’ house in Kajang, near Kuala Lumpur, with her parents’ domestic helper and their seven grandchildren. |
“We’re cooking more than ever,” she said. “We don’t go out and don’t really order deliveries because it can get expensive, and currently neither I nor my husband are working. We won’t be spending like in previous years.” | “We’re cooking more than ever,” she said. “We don’t go out and don’t really order deliveries because it can get expensive, and currently neither I nor my husband are working. We won’t be spending like in previous years.” |
Correction: The story has been updated to correct the spelling of the University of Malaya and the last name of Khairi Akbar. | |
Centuries-old Ramadan traditions and practices upended by coronavirus | Centuries-old Ramadan traditions and practices upended by coronavirus |
Washington’s Muslim community begins a Ramadan like no other | Washington’s Muslim community begins a Ramadan like no other |
This Passover, Easter and Ramadan, clergy scramble to create holidays at a distance | This Passover, Easter and Ramadan, clergy scramble to create holidays at a distance |
Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world | Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world |
Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news | Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news |