Health
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COVID-19 pandemic
Ramadan during coronavirus – with a virtual community
Ramadan begins this week even as the coronavirus pandemic up-ends life around the world. The crisis is forcing Muslims to re-think traditions and find new approaches to one of Islam's most important religious rituals. By Siham Ouchtou and Kersten Knipp
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COVID-19 pandemic
A golden opportunity for Middle East autocrats?
When it comes to tackling the coronavirus pandemic, Middle Eastern autocrats are keenly following China's lead. An analysis by Thomas Demmelhuber and Tobias Zumbraegel
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COVID-19 in the Middle East
Women talk under coronavirus lockdown: "I want my life back"
How are people in the Middle East and North Africa dealing with the new coronavirus pandemic? Women from countries across the region, some of them war zones, share their worries – and hopes. By Diana Hodali
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COVID-19 consequences
Coronavirus halts year-long protests in Algeria
Exploiting the coronavirus emergency, Algeria’s ruling classes have ramped up their repressive campaign against the protest movement, opposition and free media. By Sofian Philip Naceur
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COVID-19 in Afghanistan
"Millions of Afghans at risk"
So far, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths in Afghanistan has been relatively low. But due to a severe lack of coronavirus tests and ventilators, suitable laboratories to process samples, ongoing fighting between the Taliban and government forces and a sluggish and uncoordinated response to the pandemic, the health threat to Afghanistan is very large and very real. By Emran Feroz and Mohammad Zaman
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Coronavirus in India
Muslims as scapegoats
On the streets and online, radical Hindu nationalists, including MPs from the ruling BJP party, are agitating against the Muslim minority, inciting hatred and spreading rumours of a "corona jihad": they allege that Muslims are spreading the virus in order to harm India. By Dominik Müller
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Coronavirus and Islam
Pakistani clerics refuse to shut down mosques
With no nationwide lockdown in place and with Islamic clerics refusing to stop allowing religious congregations, Prime Minister Imran Khan is relying on restricting the size of congregations attending mosques and advice to stay at home from religious groups to contain the spread of the new coronavirus at religious gatherings. By Haroon Janjua
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Digitalisation and the coronavirus in Morocco
From care to control?
With a series of digital measures introduced in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Morocco is creating a trade-off between ways to provide rapid support and the parallel development of digital control. By Anja Hoffmann and Bauke Baumann
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COVID-19 pandemic
Science versus covidiots – Indiaʹs coronavirus challenge
Obscurantism is making it harder to prevent Covid-19, not only in Southeast Asia. Though India's lockdown was poorly planned, we must hope it will prove effective. By Aditi Roy Ghatak
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Coronavirus pandemic in the Islamic world
Doubling down on containment efforts
Around the Islamic world, lockdowns and curfews are being extended and religious ceremonies are being cancelled outright in the hope of slowing the spread of COVID-19. Here’s the latest from across the region
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COVID-19 pandemic
Devastated by war, Syriaʹs Idlib braces for coronavirus
No soap, hardly any water and no space to quarantine: in Idlib there is growing concern over the possible spread of coronavirus. A women's centre there is trying to educate people. Diana Hodali reports
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Pandemic update
Corona across the Islamic world – the toll of COVID-19
While some are beginning to protest the lockdown, others are unable to bury their loved ones in accordance with Islam. Here’s the latest from across the region