Some of the fear surrounding the disease stems from the Muslim rituals surrounding death, said Sherine Hamdy, a professor of medical anthropology at the University of California at Irvine who has worked extensively in Middle Eastern communities. … “The worst thing in the world isn’t to die, but it’s to die away from your family and your community and to have no control over what happens to your body.”

For the full story, please visit https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/world/middleeast/iraq-coronavirus-stigma-quarantine.html.