Faithful crowd mosques in Burkina Faso
OUAGADOUGOU: Muslims, many praying shouldertoshoulder and without face masks, crowded mosques in Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou, yesterday, after the government lifted an order closing them.
Authorities ordered mosques to be closed in March as the coronavirus outbreak grew in the West African country, which as of yesterday had recorded 662 cases and 44 deaths from Covid19.
But the order faced opposition, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan, and on Sunday about 100 people protested outside the offices of the Federation of Islamic Associations of Burkina to demand its withdrawal.
The federation, which acts as an intermediary between the government and Muslims, later said the government had lifted the order, provided worshippers wore masks and respected physical distancing and other restrictions.
At the Central Mosque of the Sunni Movement of Burkina Faso yesterday, hundreds of worshippers packed into tight spaces to pray.
‘‘We cannot be in a house of God and impose our own laws,’’ Talla Beye (40), a jeweller, said.
And few wore masks in Ouagadougou's largest mosque.
‘‘It is God who brought the disease and who will protect us. Mask or not, God is already in control,’’ he added. Abdoul Moumini Zoundi, the federation’s permanent secretary, acknowledged many worshippers were not respecting the health guidelines at mosques in the capital, but said people felt a religious obligation to pray close to others.
‘‘I came with my own prayer mat to avoid praying on the same mat as others.
‘‘As for masks, some wore them, others didn’t.’’
Despite the spread of the coronavirus across West Africa, some governments have moved to lift certain restrictions, partly to reduce the damage to some of the world’s poorest economies.