RIYADH — The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance has allowed funeral prayers to be held in certain mosques immediately after obligatory prayers. The move comes following a directive from Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance Sheikh Abdullatif Al-Sheikh. In a circular sent to all mosques and the concerned agencies, the minister directed that performance of funeral prayers can be held at mosques after obligatory prayers as was the case before the outbreak of coronavirus, stating that this will be in total compliance with all precautionary measures and preventive protocols to stem the spread of coronavirus. It is noteworthy that the ministry had granted permission earlier to perform funeral prayers in mosques not during obligatory prayers times. In March 2020, the minister had issued an order, allowing funeral prayers in the premises of cemeteries following the suspension of prayers at mosques due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Al-Sheikh also directed preachers and imams of all mosques, where Friday prayers are held, to include in their Friday sermons talks about the need for male and female students, teachers and other staffers of educational institutions to take two doses of a coronavirus vaccine. The sermons should also have an emphasis on encouraging educational institutions to facilitate a safe environment for the resumption of learning and training through offline classes. The Ministry of Education and Ministry Health recently urged all students aged 12 years and above, as well as teachers and other staffers of educational institutions to receive two doses of the coronavirus vaccine for a safe return to schools and universities before the start of the new academic year on August 29. The Ministry of Education announced last Sunday that offline classes for intermediate and secondary phases of public school education will be resumed for those students who received two doses of a coronavirus vaccine. According to the ministry, starting offline classes for students of elementary schools and kindergartens will be linked either to achieving herd immunity by receiving two doses of vaccine by 70 percent of the Saudi population or on Oct. 30, 2021, whichever comes first.
