Rabat – Morocco’s The Ministry of Islamic Affairs announced Wednesday, April 14, as the first day of the holy month of Ramadan in Morocco.
The ministry announced the moon was not seen on April 12, conveying that the first day of Ramadan will take place on Wednesday, April 14.
Ramadan is one of the holiest months in the Islamic calendar when Muslims practice special rituals, such as taraweeh.
Throughout 2020 and 2021, Muslims in Morocco witnessed special circumstances and restrictions that prevented them from performing such rituals in public places.
Last year, Morocco closed mosques throughout the country as part of preventive measures to limit the spread of COVID-19.
Moroccans had to practice taraweeh and the five daily prayers at home due to the closure of mosques.
Moroccans also faced a strict restriction of movement due to a total lockdown that the country introduced in March 2020.
The lockdown included the shutdown of mosques, schools, and borders.
When lockdown eased, Morocco re-opened the majority of mosques and allowed the five daily prayers.
This Ramadan, Morocco announced that it will maintain the night curfew during the holy month.
The night curfew during Ramadan will run from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m.
The night curfew indicates that the country has prohibited taraweeh prayers in mosques, but the government has yet to confirm the news.
Morocco continues to implement COVID-19 measures as part of the state of emergency, which has been continually extended since March 2020.
In recent weeks, Morocco witnessed a slight increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, which urged the government to maintain the curfew during Ramadan.
Morocco confirmed 502,277 COVID-19 cases, including 488,632 recoveries, and 8,909 deaths.
Morocco also vaccinated 4,486,628 people. Approximately 4,148,610 people received the second dose of the vaccine as of April 11.
