Kurdistan
Hajji Jawdat al-Asaadi mosque in Erbil. Date: May 13, 2020. Photo: Bilind T. Abdullah/Rudaw.
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Erbil government on Thursday issued a list of restrictions for the holy month of Ramadan, including a ban on trading with and serving alcoholic substances.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar (Hijri), during which followers of the religion abstain from eating and drinking starting from dawn to dusk. Erbil governorate released a number of decrees and guidelines to “respect” the holy month and prohibit activities that might be interpreted as inconsiderate or offensive to those fasting.
According to the decree, signed by governor Omed Khoshnaw, eating and drinking in public places shall be banned, and public intuitions must restrain from presenting foods and beverages. It adds that “selling and serving alcoholic substances is totally prohibited.”
However, restaurants are allowed to serve food if they are totally covered.
The decree also includes several other guidelines that mainly revolve around tasking different institutions of the governorate to regulate these instructions during Ramadan.
Kurdistan Region’s provinces issue similar guidelines each year when Ramadan comes. Although the guidelines are welcomed and appreciated by the Muslim community, they have also drawn criticism for disregarding the non-Muslim communities of the Region who do not partake in the Ramadan traditions.
Kurdistan Region’s endowment ministry announced late Friday that Saturday is the first day of Ramadan.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar (Hijri), during which followers of the religion abstain from eating and drinking starting from dawn to dusk. Erbil governorate released a number of decrees and guidelines to “respect” the holy month and prohibit activities that might be interpreted as inconsiderate or offensive to those fasting.
According to the decree, signed by governor Omed Khoshnaw, eating and drinking in public places shall be banned, and public intuitions must restrain from presenting foods and beverages. It adds that “selling and serving alcoholic substances is totally prohibited.”
However, restaurants are allowed to serve food if they are totally covered.
The decree also includes several other guidelines that mainly revolve around tasking different institutions of the governorate to regulate these instructions during Ramadan.
Kurdistan Region’s provinces issue similar guidelines each year when Ramadan comes. Although the guidelines are welcomed and appreciated by the Muslim community, they have also drawn criticism for disregarding the non-Muslim communities of the Region who do not partake in the Ramadan traditions.
Kurdistan Region’s endowment ministry announced late Friday that Saturday is the first day of Ramadan.
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