Thousands gather for mass prayers in Indonesia’s Sulawesi

Muslim pilgrims began gathering for a three-day congregation in Indonesia, even as the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases continued to climb.

Thousands of Muslim pilgrims began gathering for a three-day congregation in Indonesia’s south Sulawesi on Wednesday, even as the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases continued to climb among Muslims who ­attended a similar event in Malaysia early in March.

Devotees have continued to ­arrive in Gowa Regency despite authorities asking organisers of the 2020 World Ijtima Asia Zone to delay the event because of the global pandemic.

The mass prayer event was scheduled to begin on March 19 and involve as many as 10,000 people from across Indonesia and neighbouring countries.

Gowa mayor Adnan Burichta Ichsan told The Australian as many as 3000 pilgrims had already arrived in the town, most of them from around Indonesia.

“We met with the organisers of the event last Friday and issued instructions for them on Monday but we understand there was a communication gap and many pilgrims were not aware the event was delayed,” he said. “We have asked local health authorities to disinfect tents set up for the pilgrims and monitor their health, ­especially the 50 or 60 foreign visitors that have come from Mal­aysia, Singapore and Thailand.”

Local authorities were also meeting with organisers and participants to discuss options for getting them home, he said, adding that the event was not being banned but simply delayed until the health crisis had passed.

Hundreds of people who ­attended a similar three-day prayer gathering staged by the same ­Jamaah Tabligh movement in Malaysia have already tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

Health experts have warned that the event at the Sri Petaling mosque in Selangor, which ­attracted more than 16,000 people, is an “amplifier” with the potential to significantly increase regional transmissions.

Malaysia now has the highest number of COVID-19 patients in Southeast Asia thanks to a trebling of new cases this week, most of them linked to the event that ­occurred during the country’s worst political crisis in decades.

Malaysia, Singapore and even Saudi Arabia have temporarily closed down all mosques for the coming few weeks to avoid further spread of the virus.

Indonesia has so far refused to do so, instead calling on worshippers to practice social distancing and stay away from the mosque if they feel ill.