POLICY FORUM
4 May 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted people differently based on their sex, socio-economic status, and location, and in Indonesia, it has had unique effects on people based on their faith, Eva Nisa writes.
Indonesia’s first COVID-19 case was confirmed on 2 March 2020, and by 31 March, the Indonesian Government issued a policy on large-scale social restrictions. These restrictions would involve restrictions on religious activities, the closing of schools and offices, and restrictions on activities in public places or involving public facilities.
At the outset of the pandemic, a number of religious events that did go ahead were labelled super-spreaders, and the pandemic began at a time when communities of faiths were preparing for religious events, including Jewish Passover, Christian Easter, and Muslim Ramadan. Naturally, this effect was keenly felt in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim majority country.