<p>Muslims around the world began marking Ramadan under <a href="http://www.deccanherald.com/tag/coronavirus" target="_blank">coronavirus</a> lockdown on Friday with unprecedented bans on family gatherings and mass prayers, while a pushback in some countries has sparked fears of a surge in infections.</p>.<p>This year, the holy daytime fasting month will be a sombre affair for many across Asia, the Middle East and North Africa.</p>.<p>Widespread rules have been imposed banning praying in mosques or meeting relatives and friends for large "iftar" meals at dusk -- a centrepiece of the month-long fast.</p>.<p>The restrictions have put a damper on spirits in Indonesia, the world's biggest Muslim majority nation, where national religious organisations have called on the faithful to stay at home.</p>.<p>"This Ramadan is very different -- it's just not festive," said Indonesian housewife Fitria Famela.</p>.<p>"I'm disappointed that I can't go to the mosque, but what can we do? The world is different now."</p>.<p>However, some religious leaders in Asia -- home to nearly a billion of the world's Muslims -- have waved off fears about the spread of COVID-19.</p>.<p>The top Islamic organisation in Indonesia's conservative Aceh province publicly bucked a national order to stay at home.</p>.<p>Several thousand worshippers attended evening prayers Thursday at the biggest mosque in the region's capital Banda Aceh -- though crowds were smaller than usual.</p>.<p>"I'm not worried because I'm wearing a face mask and keeping my distance," said Cut Fitrah Riskiah, one of those taking part.</p>.<p>The threat of large religious gatherings has been highlighted in recent weeks by waves of infections in Asia, linked to separate, massive Islamic congregations in Malaysia, Pakistan and India.</p>.<p>And the World Health Organization has called for a stop to some Ramadan activities to limit exposure.</p>.<p>But in Bangladesh, clerics have pushed back at attempts to shrink the number of people going to mosques.</p>.<p>And Pakistan has seen its mosques crammed in the lead up to Ramadan with the faithful sitting shoulder-to-shoulder and paying little heed to social distancing.</p>.<p>Mohamad Shukri Mohamad, the top Islamic cleric in the conservative Malaysian state of Kelantan, planned to skip public prayers and family meals -- even if it meant not seeing his six children and 18 grandchildren.</p>.<p>"This is the first time in my life that I've been unable to go the mosque," he told AFP.</p>.<p>"But we must accept it and obey the rules of social distancing to protect our lives."</p>.<p>Muslim-majority Malaysia has extended a strict lockdown until mid-May with mosques, schools and most businesses closed -- and police checkpoints set up to catch rulebreakers.</p>.<p>Even popular Ramadan bazaars, where Muslims buy local delicacies before breaking their fast, have been banned.</p>.<p>Instead, Malaysians can only order from so-called "e-bazaars", where people order goods online and have them delivered to their homes.</p>.<p>In neighbouring Indonesia, fears of a spike in coronavirus cases when millions travel to hometowns and ancestral villages at the end of Ramadan has forced the country of some 260 million to issue a ban on the annual exodus.</p>.<p>The government has also announced a clampdown on all air and sea travel across the 17,000-island archipelago.</p>.<p>Jakarta resident Erik Febrian said he was relying on a computer to allow him to keep in touch with his out-of-town parents until he can see them in person at the end of Ramadan.</p>.<p>"Thanks to technology I can video-call my parents every day during Ramadan," he said. "And keep an eye on their health."</p>
<p>Muslims around the world began marking Ramadan under <a href="http://www.deccanherald.com/tag/coronavirus" target="_blank">coronavirus</a> lockdown on Friday with unprecedented bans on family gatherings and mass prayers, while a pushback in some countries has sparked fears of a surge in infections.</p>.<p>This year, the holy daytime fasting month will be a sombre affair for many across Asia, the Middle East and North Africa.</p>.<p>Widespread rules have been imposed banning praying in mosques or meeting relatives and friends for large "iftar" meals at dusk -- a centrepiece of the month-long fast.</p>.<p>The restrictions have put a damper on spirits in Indonesia, the world's biggest Muslim majority nation, where national religious organisations have called on the faithful to stay at home.</p>.<p>"This Ramadan is very different -- it's just not festive," said Indonesian housewife Fitria Famela.</p>.<p>"I'm disappointed that I can't go to the mosque, but what can we do? The world is different now."</p>.<p>However, some religious leaders in Asia -- home to nearly a billion of the world's Muslims -- have waved off fears about the spread of COVID-19.</p>.<p>The top Islamic organisation in Indonesia's conservative Aceh province publicly bucked a national order to stay at home.</p>.<p>Several thousand worshippers attended evening prayers Thursday at the biggest mosque in the region's capital Banda Aceh -- though crowds were smaller than usual.</p>.<p>"I'm not worried because I'm wearing a face mask and keeping my distance," said Cut Fitrah Riskiah, one of those taking part.</p>.<p>The threat of large religious gatherings has been highlighted in recent weeks by waves of infections in Asia, linked to separate, massive Islamic congregations in Malaysia, Pakistan and India.</p>.<p>And the World Health Organization has called for a stop to some Ramadan activities to limit exposure.</p>.<p>But in Bangladesh, clerics have pushed back at attempts to shrink the number of people going to mosques.</p>.<p>And Pakistan has seen its mosques crammed in the lead up to Ramadan with the faithful sitting shoulder-to-shoulder and paying little heed to social distancing.</p>.<p>Mohamad Shukri Mohamad, the top Islamic cleric in the conservative Malaysian state of Kelantan, planned to skip public prayers and family meals -- even if it meant not seeing his six children and 18 grandchildren.</p>.<p>"This is the first time in my life that I've been unable to go the mosque," he told AFP.</p>.<p>"But we must accept it and obey the rules of social distancing to protect our lives."</p>.<p>Muslim-majority Malaysia has extended a strict lockdown until mid-May with mosques, schools and most businesses closed -- and police checkpoints set up to catch rulebreakers.</p>.<p>Even popular Ramadan bazaars, where Muslims buy local delicacies before breaking their fast, have been banned.</p>.<p>Instead, Malaysians can only order from so-called "e-bazaars", where people order goods online and have them delivered to their homes.</p>.<p>In neighbouring Indonesia, fears of a spike in coronavirus cases when millions travel to hometowns and ancestral villages at the end of Ramadan has forced the country of some 260 million to issue a ban on the annual exodus.</p>.<p>The government has also announced a clampdown on all air and sea travel across the 17,000-island archipelago.</p>.<p>Jakarta resident Erik Febrian said he was relying on a computer to allow him to keep in touch with his out-of-town parents until he can see them in person at the end of Ramadan.</p>.<p>"Thanks to technology I can video-call my parents every day during Ramadan," he said. "And keep an eye on their health."</p>