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Rabat – Morocco’s Minister of Islamic Affairs Ahmed Toufiq said on Tuesday that 5,000 mosques will reopen on Wednesday, July 15, as part of the gradual lockdown easing strategy.
The minister announced the news at a House of Councillors session, emphasizing that the country ministry
The mosques will reopen their doors on Wednesday at Dhur (afternoon) prayers, taking into account the preventive measures to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Conditions
The measures invite citizens to carry out “wudu,” the Islamic procedure for cleansing parts of the body as a type of ritual purification, at home before going to the mosque.
Mosque goers should also take with them a plastic bag to put their shoes on when they are in the mosque.
Citizens wishing to go to the mosque to perform the five prayers should also wear masks outside and inside the mosque and should bring their own Quran if they wish to read some verses inside the prayer hall.
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Worshippers are also invited to bring their own sejadah (prayer mat), and respect social distancing measures (at least 1.5 meter from each individual).
Children under 15, elderly people, and people with chronic diseases should not attend mosques the Islamic Affairs ministry ruled.
Citizens should also take into account the preventive measures the government recommends to contain the spread of COVID-19, including the hygiene instructions.
The ministry also warned against hand shaking, crowds, or gatherings inside the mosque.
Minister of Islamic Affairs Toufiq said the decision to reopen mosques will take into account the local epidemiological situation as well as the health control requirements.
Photos online show authorities monitoring the pre-reopening measures, including the sanitation process mosques are undertaking ahead of opening their doors this afternoon.
Mosques in Morocco have been closed since March 16 as part of the country’s strict restrictions to end the spread of the pandemic.
The number of mosques in Morocco exceeds 50,000 across the country.
The decision to reopen the mosques will exclude Fridays prayers, which traditionally gather millions of citizens, as part of the preventive measures to avoid contamination among worshippers.
