I'm disappointed that I can't go to the mosque, but what can we do? The world is different now.
Mosques stood empty and fast-breaking feasts were cancelled as Muslims around the world began marking Ramadan under coronavirus lockdown on Friday, while a pushback in some countries sparked fears of a surge in infections.
Mecca's Grand Mosque, Islam's holiest site, was among those devoid of worshippers as the holy month got under way amid unprecedented bans on family gatherings and mass prayers.
A stunning emptiness enveloped the sacred Kaaba -- a large cube-shaped structure in the Grand Mosque towards which Muslims around the world pray -- in the most potent sign of how the daytime fasting month will be a sombre affair across Islamic nations.
Ramadan is typically a period of both worship and socializing, but this year strict lockdowns limit socializing during iftar meals at dusk when the fast is broken -- a centerpiece of Ramadan.
The measures have put a damper on spirits in Indonesia, the world's biggest Muslim majority nation, where national religious organizations have called on the faithful to stay at home.
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