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Morocco to Impose Night Curfew during Ramadan

FILE PHOTO: Police officers patrol streets, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, on the outskirts of Casablanca, Morocco March 25, 2020. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal
FILE PHOTO: Police officers patrol streets, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, on the outskirts of Casablanca, Morocco March 25, 2020. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal
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Morocco to Impose Night Curfew during Ramadan

FILE PHOTO: Police officers patrol streets, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, on the outskirts of Casablanca, Morocco March 25, 2020. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal
FILE PHOTO: Police officers patrol streets, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, on the outskirts of Casablanca, Morocco March 25, 2020. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal

Moroccan authorities decided Wednesday to impose a night-time curfew during the holy month of Ramadan as a precautionary measure following the recent rise in COVID-19 cases

According to a government statement, the nationwide night curfew will be implemented from 8 pm to 6 am, starting from the first day of Ramadan.

Moroccans voiced anger over the decision, which sparked a debate over canceling the Tarawih prayers. The government did not make a final decision regarding the issue since the Supreme Scientific Council, the country’s official religious body, is responsible for such decisions.

According to sources, the government called on the council to issue a Fatwa to cancel Tarawih prayers, given the recent developments of the country's epidemiological situation. The council is expected to issue a final decision soon.

However, all current indicators point that evening mosque prayers will be banned again this year to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Moroccan Prime Minister Saad-Eddine El Othmani said earlier that the epidemiological situation in Morocco has seen some worrying new developments, including an increase in the number of cases of the new Covid-19 strain, an increase in the number of critical cases, as well as “the challenge of obtaining new vaccine doses.”

Also, Minister of Health Khalid Ait Taleb said that there has been “an increase in the number of new infections, especially in the Casablanca-Settat region,” with the number of cases there constituting 50 percent of the total cases currently recorded at the national level.

The number of cases of the new Covid-19 strain also witnessed a significant increase, reaching 73 cases, according to the latest figures disclosed by the Ministry of Health.

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US Links Ankara-Damascus Normalization to Political Solution in Syria

Meeting between Erdogan and Assad in 2010 (Archive)
Meeting between Erdogan and Assad in 2010 (Archive)
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US Links Ankara-Damascus Normalization to Political Solution in Syria

Meeting between Erdogan and Assad in 2010 (Archive)
Meeting between Erdogan and Assad in 2010 (Archive)

Recent statements by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his willingness to meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to normalize relations between the two countries have sparked mixed reactions.
While the Syrian opposition sees the possibility of such a meeting despite the challenges, Damascus views the statements as a political maneuver by the Turks. Meanwhile, the United States has tied the normalization process to achieving a political solution in Syria based on UN Security Council Resolution 2254, issued in 2015.
Turkish media reported on Thursday that a US administration official, who was not named, confirmed that Washington is against normalizing relations with the Syrian regime under Assad. He emphasized that Washington cannot accept normalizing ties with Damascus without progress toward a political solution that ends the conflicts in Syria.
Meanwhile, the head of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces, Hadi al-Bahra, stated that a meeting between Assad and Erdogan is possible despite the obstacles. In a statement to Reuters on Thursday, Bahra said the meeting is feasible, even though Ankara is fully aware that the Assad regime cannot currently meet its demands and understands the regime’s limitations.
Bahra pointed out that the UN-led political process remains frozen and that he had briefed US and Western officials on the latest developments in the Syrian file. On Saturday, Bahra participated in a consultative meeting in Ankara with the Syrian Negotiation Commission, along with a high-level delegation from the US State Department, during which they exchanged views on the political solution and the need to establish binding mechanisms for implementing international resolutions related to the Syrian issue.
On the other side, Assad’s special advisor, Bouthaina Shaaban, dismissed Erdogan’s announcement that Ankara is awaiting a response from Damascus regarding his meeting with Assad for normalization as another political maneuver with ulterior motives.
Shaaban, speaking during a lecture at the Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which was reported by Turkish media on Thursday, stated that any rapprochement between the two countries is contingent on its withdrawal of forces from Syrian territory.