No Eid al-Fitr Prayers at Istiqlal Amid COVID-19 Concerns

It was decided in the meeting

Istiqlal Mosque in Central Jakarta will refrain from holding congregational prayers for the upcoming Eid al-Fitr this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Istiqlal Mosque Grand Imam, KH Nasaruddin Umar said the decision was made after analyzing developments in Istiqlal's internal and external, as well as the development of COVID-19.

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"It was decided in the meeting," he stated, Tuesday (5/11).

He explained that previously the Istiqlal opened the opportunity for the implementation of the Eid prayers with 10 percent of the total capacity of the mosque's congregation. However, after a simulation was held on the second floor of the mosque, it turned out that there would still be meeting points that could cause crowds.

He apologized to all congregation, sympathizers and lovers of the Istiqlal Mosque for not being able to reopen the Eid prayer activities. Hopefully, the Eid al-Adha would start to improve and would be opened to the public again.

"I know that many have missed the Istiqlal mosque, but our condition doesn't allow it to carry out this Eid," he closed.