Muslim Pilgrims Perform Socially Distanced Tawaf

Muslim Pilgrims Perform Socially Distanced Tawaf

Muslim pilgrims travel to Mecca to perform a socially distanced version of the traditional Tawaf of circling the black cube-shaped Kaaba, Tuesday, April 12.

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READ MORE: Muslims in many parts of the world marked the start of Ramadan Tuesday, but a spike in coronavirus cases in several countries has once again put curbs on the holy month's signature feasts and lengthy prayers in mosques.

Still, there are glimmers that Ramadan 2021 could feel less restricted than last year, when Islam's holiest period coincided with the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Mosques have since reopened and limits on movement have eased as vaccine rollouts continue in Muslim-majority nations. Clerics in such places as Indonesia have issued assurances the vaccine does not break one's daytime fast.

Ramadan is marked by longer prayers, dawn-to-dusk fasting and nightly feasts with family and friends, though crowded shoulder-to-shoulder gatherings in mosques and large gatherings for meals remain prohibited due to the continued spread of coronavirus globally.

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LINK: www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/muslims-mark-ramadan-amid-virus-surge-and-renewed-curbs

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