With virus, cherished Mideast traditions come to abrupt halt

Under the sign “Take out only” and a tall bottle of antiseptic by his side, Mazin Hashim, 54, rearranged the coals heating a water pipe outside his famed cafe in Baghdad.No more evenings spent mostly by men in traditional coffee shops across the region.In a region where life is often organized around large families, communal meals and tribal rules, social distancing can be difficult.