< PreviousFEATURE / C U LTURE 30 Vol. 21/09, April – May 2020 But this year, the fast- spreading novel coronavirus threatens to dampen Rama- dan like never before, with millions locked down across the Middle East – from Saudi Arabia and Lebanon to the battle zones of Libya, Iraq and Yemen. More dispiriting for many devout Muslims is the banning of congrega- tional worship, including taraweeh nighttime prayers, in mosques across the region, with many closed in a bid to slow the spread of the virus. Several countries’ reli- gious authorities, includ- ing Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Abdulaziz Al Sheikh, have ruled that prayers during Ramadan and Eid be performed at home. “Our hearts are crying,” said Ali Mulla, the muezzin who gives the call to prayer at Makkah’s Grand Mosque. “We are used to seeing the holy mosque crowded with people during the day, night, all the time... I feel pain deep inside.” In recent weeks, a stunning emptiness has enveloped the sacred Kaaba – a large black cube structure draped in gold-embroidered cloth in the Grand Mosque towards u Saudi Arabia extended curfew restrictions on Islam’s two holiest cities to 24 hours to stem the spread of coronavirus 1.8m The number of pilgrims who visited Saudi Arabia in 2019, according to national passport authorities R OM CANCELLED iftar feasts to suspended mosque prayers, Muslims across the Middle East are bracing for a bleak month of Ramadan fasting as the threat of the Covid-19 pandemic lingers. Ramadan is a period for both self-reflection and socialising. Believers fast from dawn to dusk and then gather around a family or community meal each even- ing of Islam’s holiest month, which began last week and ends with Eid Al Fitr festivi- ties in May. F The fast-spreading novel coronavirus has impacted plans for Ramadan this month By AFP MIDDLE EAST BRACES FOR BLEAK RAMADAN AS VIRUS THREAT LINGERS “I had saved up to spend on Ramadan shopping, but I spent it instead on purchasing things needed for protection against the virus”arabianbusiness.com 31 / C U LTURE dan, while also advising against the public sighting of the crescent moon, which is used to estimate the start of the holy month. The restrictions are in line with the recommendations of the World Health Organi- sation (WHO), which has urged countries to “stop large numbers of people gather- ing in places associated with Ramadan activities, such as entertainment venues, markets and shops”. The restrictions have hit businesses hard, including retailers who would normally be preparing for the Ramadan rush. This year, many Muslims are saving their money for masks, gloves and other Covid- 19 protective gear. “I had saved up an amount to spend on Ramadan shop- ping, but I spent it instead on purchasing things needed for quarantine and protec- tion against the virus,” said Younes, 51, who works at a clothing store in the Syrian capital Damascus. “This year, no feasts, no visits... I feel we are besieged by the virus wherever we go.” which Muslims around the world pray. The white-tiled area around the Kaaba is usually packed with tens of thousands of pilgrims. Ramadan is considered an auspicious period to perform the year-round umrah pilgrimage, which Saudi authorities suspended last month. It is likely the larger hajj pilgrimage, set for the end of July, will also be cancelled for the first time in modern history after Saudi Arabia urged Muslims to temporar- ily defer preparations. ‘No feasts, no visits’ The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian Territo- ries Muhammad Hussein has announced similar prayer restrictions during Rama- Sanctions-stricken Iran last week allowed some shut- tered Tehran businesses to reopen, despite being one of the worst-hit countries in the Middle East, as many citizens braved possible infection to avoid economic ruin. Official statistics show the disease has killed more than 5,000 people and infected over 80,000 in Iran, but the actual figures are thought to be higher. Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has appealed to Iranians to pray at home during Ramadan, while urging them to “not neglect worship, invocation and humility in our loneliness”. There is some levity in Cairo, where the Egyptian capital’s narrow alleys and downtown markets are still covered with traditional Ramadan decorations and brightly coloured lanterns known as fawanees. These decorations also typically adorn restaurants and cafes, but they are all closed due to the outbreak, lending a more subdued feel to the city as the holy month approaches. Prayers and charity Hardliners across the region have rejected some online suggestions by Muslims that they should be exempt from fasting this year owing to the pandemic, insisting that while social distancing was neces- sary, the virus did not stop them from observing the rules of Ramadan from home. The WHO has pointed out that no studies have looked into links between studies of fasting and risk of Covid-19 infection. “Healthy people should be able to fast during this Rama- dan as in previous years, while Covid-19 patients may consider religious licenses regarding breaking the fast in consultation with their doctors, as they would do with any other disease,” it said. Iran’s Khamenei issued a fatwa allowing patients not to fast during Ramadan if a “pious doctor” considers it a risk, and to defer their fasting to a later date. His ruling falls in line with long-standing Islamic traditions. For many trapped in their homes in war-battered coun- tries such as Libya, Ramadan is still a time for prayer, intro- spection and charity. “For me, Ramadan has come early this year. During these curfew times, it means fewer working hours, similar to Ramadan,” said Karima Munir, a 54-year-old banker and mother of two in Libya. “Ramadan is always about being charitable and this year the needy are numerous, especially with the (displace- ment) from the war.” 1.8bn The estimated number of Muslims in the world, according to Pew Research Centre u Shops in the Red Sea coastal city of Jeddah remain closedLiquid assets 32 Vol. 21/09, April – May 2020 Lubna Hamdan, Editor at Arabian Business, recommends: The Deals That Made the World by Jacques Peretti If like me you’ve dreamt about delving into the settings of the most powerful business deals signed in secret high up in a boardroom, on a golf course or over a drink at the bar, Jacques Peretti will take you as close as you can probably get. And who better than an award-winning investigative journalist to take you on a whirlwind adventure of the hidden truths of business; yes, it’s that juicy. From drug cartels bailing out banks to pharmaceuticals selling medicine to healthy people, Peretti provides a different perspective that will change the way you view the world forever. I can’t think of a better time than now, when our lives have been turned upside down. This book may help you gain some perspective. At the very least, it is bound to entertain you. Bernd Debusmann Jr., Deputy Editor at Arabian Business, recommends: The Great Infl uenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History by John M. Barry They say that history repeats itself, and given everything that’s going on in the world today, I couldn’t think of a more apt book to read while on Covid-19 lockdown. In this sweeping – and eerily familiar – account of a pandemic, the author vividly paints a picture of how a disease swept across the world, overwhelming healthcare systems and killing over 50 million. Importantly, the book delves into the culture of fear that was created throughout society, how the response of some governments (particularly America’s) left much to be desired, and how dedicated researchers and healthcare workers came to the rescue. Sound familiar? ‘The Great Infl uenza’ is a depressing and diffi cult read, but it’s one that should be required for everyone – like this journalist – who is trying to understand the Covid-19 pandemic on a day-to-day basis. Jola Chudy, contributor at Arabian Business and Editor-in-Chief of CEO Middle East, recommends: My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh Who amongst us hasn’t secretly wished that we could work from home, answer emails in our pyjamas and adopt a sleeping schedule akin to that of a hibernating bear? And now, look, the fates are mocking us as our collective fantasy of laziness is enforced upon us. Moshfegh’s narrator, a wealthy young Columbia graduate, actively pursues a year of isolation, Quarantine reads chosen by the Arabian Business team From pandemics to tech giants and rugby heroes to female war journalists, here are the stories we recommend to keep you (mildly) sane during self-isolation BY ARABIAN BUSINESS STAFFarabianbusiness.com 33 alienation and sleep, drawing us in with a deliciously dark and twisty voice to answer a question we may feel recently more equipped to answer: what if we were also to ‘hibernate’ from the world for an extended period of time? Gavin Gibbon, Chief Reporter at Arabian Business and CEO Middle East, recommends: My Name’5 Doddie, The Autobiography of Doddie Weir It’s not just that he lives 25 minutes away from my home town, or that he was one of my rugby heroes when I was growing up. I’ve heard him speak at dinners and as an entertaining and informative, hugely likeable, pundit on the television. But all this was before he was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND). The stories he shares about his rugby days smack of self- deprecation, where the giant of a man would rather light up a room rather than shine the light on a career that took him to the very top, 61 caps for Scotland and a tour of South Africa with the British and Irish Lions in 1997, among the myriad of highlights. He was once described by commentator Bill McLaren as being "On the charge like a mad giraffe", but since 2017 he has had a different game to win. The way he describes his fi ght against MND is done so with his trademark humour, but there is no denying the battling spirit he showed so many times on the rugby pitch. This book will make you laugh mostly, but also cry, and teach you no matter who the opponent is, to never give up. Lubna Hamdan, Editor at Arabian Business, recommends: Our Women On The Ground by Zahra Hankir This collection of essays by Arab women reporting from the Arab world makes our quarantine in Dubai look like a vacation. The introduction alone will have you in tears, and how can it not when it tells the accounts of female journalists risking their lives on the front lines of war? But it’s not just another book about wars. It’s so much more than that. From sexual harassment to motherhood, it describes so elegantly both the beauty and tragedy of being a woman in our part of the world. No other book has dived so deeply into a niche, but often forgotten and underrated, section of our society. Brace yourself, this is no easy read. It’s a raw, real read. It’ll leave you feeling a little more sorrowful, a little more courageous and a lot more human. Bernd Debusmann Jr., Deputy Editor at Arabian Business, recommends: Business Adventures by John Brooks A favourite of Warren Buffet and Bill Gates, this entertaining read provides 12 classic tales from the world of Wall Street in companies ranging from General Electric to Texas Gulf Sulphur. Although now over 40 years old, prominent business people such as Gates have repeatedly noted that the examples within remain extremely relevant – even familiar – to those working in the corporate world. Each of the examples given provides a window on how business and human nature collide. Hint: people can be counted on to be both wildly irrational and constantly self-serving. Unfortunately, the book isn’t all that easy to fi nd – so if you manage to get your hands on a copy, hold onto it! I know I will. Jola Chudy, contributor at Arabian Business and Editor-in-Chief at CEO Middle East, recommends: The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work by Alain de Botton We spend most of our waking hours at work, but rarely stop to question or analyse just how much our jobs infl uence our lives. Except now, when we are all trying to work remotely during a pandemic, and a little distance invites the opportunity for refl ection and perspective. It’s probably a good time to take stock of what our offi ce lives mean to us – how our talents and interests, as well as our need to earn money, drive our careers, but also how modern offi ce culture fails to satisfy in other areas. Readers familiar with Alain de Botton will appreciate the philosopher’s accessible writing style, gently and humorously exploring complex modern issues with sensitivity and a very human insight. His book of essays delves deeply into the worlds of various everyday occupations – perhaps his thoughtful words will help you decipher just why you’re missing annoying Susan from accounts so much during these ‘unprecedented times’. Neil Halligan, Editor at Arabian Business, recommends: Facebook: The Inside Story by Steven Levy In the blockbuster fi lm The Social Network, viewers are given an insight into Facebook, how four college graduates collaborated to create what was to become what is now world’s largest companies. At its infancy, Facebook was social network for a college campus. Fast-forward 16 years, it’s a social media giant used by 3 billion all over the world that has had an infl uence far beyond those halcyon days. 34 Vol. 21/09, April – May 2020 Dubai carrier Emirates Airline is to launch repatria- tion passenger services to Jakarta, Manila Taipei, Chicago, Tunis, Algeria, and Kabul. The fl ights are in addi- tion to London and Frankfurt, which were previously announced, and will depart from Dubai International Airport’s Terminal 3. Only citizens of the destina- tion country and those who meet the entry requirements will be allowed to board. Etihad Airways has announced repatriation fl ights to fi ve new destina- tions that will allow passen- gers stranded in the UAE due to Covid-19 restrictions, the opportunity to return home. The new destinations from Abu Dhabi include Brussels, Dublin, London Heathrow, Tokyo Narita and Zurich. The fl ights are in addition to those previously announced, to Amsterdam, Melbourne, Seoul, Singapore and Manila. Sharjah-based Airline Air Arabia has announced that passenger repatriation fl ights will fl y to a number of destinations including India, Bahrain and Kuwait. In a statement, Air Arabia said that the fl ights – which will be limited to outbound passengers – will also fl y to Afghanistan, Iran, Oman, Kuwait, Sudan, Egypt and Nepal. Gloves and facemasks are mandatory before boarding. Airlines have been given the green light to operate outbound fl ights for expa- triates from Kuwait. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation announced that the suspension of fl ights would be lifted in order to accommodate expats who wish to return to their native countries. The country announced a complete shutdown of passenger fl ights starting from March 13. Gulf Air has repatriated Bahraini citizens from several countries as part of the country’s International Covid- 19 Repatriation Programme (ICRP). Gulf Air said it has successfully returned the kingdom’s citizens from the UAE, Oman, Jordan, Egypt and Turkey. Bahraini citizens still abroad who wish to return home are being urged to contact the nearest embassy or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to register. 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