The virus and the city: rebuilding after corona, by Justus Uitermark, professor of Urban Geography
door Gemeente Amsterdam
Taraweeh behind closed doors
During Ramadan Muslims are allowed to pray the special Taraweeh prayer after the evening prayer (Salat al Isha). It is for me personally the prayer I look forward to every year. After breaking fast, it’s very nice to walk to a mosque in the neighbourhood, meet several neighbors and friends and look back together on the day. Unfortunately this year there was no Taraweeh prayer facilitated by the mosques. Maybe there were ZOOM meetings, but I deliberately avoided that. This year I had an extra need to meet people after the end of fasting and to pray together with those around me and ask God for forgiveness. The lack of the mosque was palpable and actually I never thought I would ever experience a Ramadan in which I would miss something like the Taraweeh prayer.
During the first week of Ramadan I drove along the Westermosque and Taibah mosque on a random evening together with my friends Cihad and Yusuf to see how the mosque looked so without mosque goers. It was a painful evening, but at the same time it was nice to be aware of the lack. This way you realize for a moment what Ramadan is for you.
by Fouad Lakbir
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