Indonesian Muslims hold Tarawih prayers before Ramadan
STORY: For the past two Ramadans, the faithful in Indonesia were not able to practice mass prayers due to COVID restrictions. Now the Indonesian government relaxed its restrictions as infections and death rates decline.
28-year-old Tri Haryono said he was grateful for that.
"This is my first time in Jakarta as I was living outside Jakarta before and it was hardly strict over there, and now I'm very grateful that we can finally pray here together," he said.
The start of Ramadan, during which observers abstain from food and drink from dawn until sunset, can fall on different dates due to differences in opinion over the sighting of the new moon. The different interpretations of the calendar and religious opinions can lead to regional disagreements over the exact timing of the beginning of the month.
As they head in to Ramadan, many are worried over rocketing domestic prices, uncertain international conditions and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
