Saudi Arabia: Prince Salman issued an order prohibiting Iftar in mosques

Saudi Arabia has banned serving iftar in mosques during Ramadan. This ban has been imposed by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs with the consent of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. According to the new order, there will be no Iftar party in the mosques of the country after sunset during Ramadan. Besides, Imams have also been banned from collecting donations for providing Iftar to the worshipers during Ramzan. The ministry said that this order has been taken to keep the mosques clean.

To keep mosques clean, the ministry forbade serving iftar inside of them and mandated that the feast take place at a designated area within the premises. Furthermore, it will be illegal to record the Imam during prayers in mosques using cameras or to broadcast the prayers on other media platforms.

In the meantime, imams have been warned not to extend Taraweeh prayers or give sermons that would be helpful to believers, particularly those that emphasise the guidelines for fasting and the benefits of the holy month of Ramadan. Saudi Arabia seeks to dispel the notion that it is a fundamentalist nation. The main reason for this is Prince Salman's new economic policy, through which he wants to remove the oil dependence of Saudi Arabia's economy by 2030.