Bring your own mat

In the president's Independence Day speech, he announced several changes in lessening the country's covid restrictions, including...

OPENING THE MOSQUES (but bring your own prayer mat)

Well, that was cause for celebration! Mosques here are a gathering place. Up to 5 times a day, men walk to the mosque, do their ceremonial washing, pray, and say hi to each other before continuing with their day. It's a way that the neighborhood shares news, a bond of brotherhood, and maintains their attachment to "one religion".

Call to prayer from outside

But since April, the mosques have been closed. Since I live across from one, it was easy to see how people were working around the government's requirements at first-- the front of the mosque was closed, but the back was open, and 10 minutes after the call to prayer was proclaimed over the loudspeaker, we could hear an "Amin" echo from inside, the voices of many men who just couldn't stay away.

It took multiple nights of the government going around and teargassing the mosques before the men finally gave up and locked the mosque for good. Since then the loudspeaker has been irregular-- some community members have taken it upon themselves to give the call to prayer, but sometimes the call just doesn't happen.

Until the president's speech. Then suddenly there was a flurry at the mosque. Loud shouts, discussions, and finally an announcement from the loudspeaker: "bring your soap! Bring brushes to the mosque!" It was cleaning time. After 2+ months of being empty, it was time to clean the place up so it was ready for the regathering.

Now the regular routines of prayer 5 times a day have resumed. But will there be some differences? Will some go who never went before? Will others stay home, now that they've gotten used to praying at home? We ask these questions, hoping for new inroads.