Fears over the new coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East disrupted the practice of Islam itself in the region on March 4, as Saudi Arabia banned its citizens and residents from performing the Muslim pilgrimage in Mecca and Iran canceled Friday prayers in major cities.
The Saudi decision expands a ban last week on foreigners visiting Mecca and Medina, home to the holiest sites in Islam. Meanwhile, authorities halted Friday prayers across all Iranian provincial capitals amid the country’s growing coronavirus outbreak.
