Muslims welcome in-person prayers during Ramadan

Tuesday marked the first day of Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. Local mosques said, this year, that thanks to the province's low COVID case numbers and lifted restrictions, they are able to celebrate the second pandemic Ramadan in person.

“Yes, we do have registrations and regulations. But people still feel they are so fortunate (to be) in Nova Scotia,” said Imam Wael Haridy of the Nova Scotia Islamic Community Centre.

Haridy said that last year, due to COVID-19, prayers had to be conducted online. This year, however, he said the province has allowed faith-based gatherings, and local Muslims are able to “break the fast” together with social distancing.

For Muslims, Ramadan is the month when they observe fasting from dawn till sunset. Traditionally, neighbourhoods will gather at the local mosque and share the meal together.

“The primary objective of fasting in the month of Ramadan is to develop a sense of God consciousness which we call, in Arabic language, taqwa,” Haridy said.

“When you don't eat or drink for 15 or 16 hours, you will feel hungry and you will feel thirst. You will also feel the suffering of other people who don't have food.”

Emad Aziz is the community relations officer at the Islamic Association of Nova Scotia. Aziz said the association has Muslims from all over the world with different traditions of celebrating Ramadan. But because of social distancing, traditions that require large gatherings or food sharing, are not going to be practised.

Aziz said there's an overall disappointment because Ramadan is a special time of the year.

“We can't do it in the ways that we did before but we can find new ways of doing it and find new ways of supporting those who are less fortunate, so I think this is a time for Muslims to, as a whole, make new traditions and celebrate Ramadan in a different way.”

ERIC WYNNE • THE CHRONICLE HERALD Halifax mosques, such as the one at the Halifax Islamic Community Centre on Larry Uteck Drive, are able to hold in-person prayers during Ramadan. With low COVID-19 case numbers, many restrictions have been lifted or eased.