Iran’s clerics argue over how to hold the festival of Muharram
Social distancing doesn’t appear to be on the cards
LAST MONTH Saudi Arabia did something unprecedented. To slow the spread of covid-19, it restricted participation in the haj, the annual pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, which every Muslim is expected to perform once in their life. Somewhere between 1,000 and 10,000 people already resident in the kingdom were allowed to take part—a tiny fraction of the 2.5m pilgrims who attended last year from around the world. It has been well over a century since the ritual was so disrupted.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “A rite old mess”
Middle East & Africa August 22nd 2020
- The United Arab Emirates has become a force in the Middle East
- The Arab countries most likely to recognise Israel
- Iran’s clerics argue over how to hold the festival of Muharram
- Why African countries issue stamps celebrating English cricketers
- An oil spill off Mauritius threatens protected ecosystems
- What next for Mali?
From the August 22nd 2020 edition
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Trump should try to end, not manage, the Middle East’s oldest conflicts
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