The Christian Science Monitor

In Jordan, mourning matters. This app keeps funeral-goers on task.

The first app of its kind in the Arab world, Wafiyat is a free directory and noticeboard that allows users to post and read obituaries.

In much of the Arab world, among Muslims and Christians alike, paying your respects in person is part of a communal approach to mourning that is a cornerstone of social solidarity.

A practice begun centuries ago as a form of social support for the bereaving family, the azza is a three-day mourning period and public wake immediately following burial.

Here in tribal Jordan, even as other aspects of society have transformed dramatically in recent decades, the importance of communal mourning has changed very little. If anything, this social obligation has been elevated to a matter of honor and personal duty, and a funeral is a call to action.

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