LONDON – Different European countries have set the months of june and july as the time in which social life will steadily be resumed back to ‘normal’, off course with the general advisories in mind. Mosques are (partionally) reopening as well in most countries that have passed the preliminary apex of the Covid-19 virus, but will need far more preventive measures to protect the guests compared to other public places as restaurants and cafe’s. In this blogpost, EICRI will explain why our call for extra measures for mosques are needed.
We believe Mosques and Islamic organizations are subjected to extra measures to protect the elders and the muslim communities in Europe. We have developed an additional protocol with the following guidelines:
- Prohibit the access to the mosques of elders, from the age of 65;
- Implement batches of fixed visitors, spread over the day and the five daily prayers. Limit the allowed visits to one per day so an potential outbreak will have less chance to spread to other batches of people;
- Broadcast the friday prayers online;
- It’s obligatory for every visitor to bring with him/her a private prayer mat;
- Ventilate the whole mosque, as this will prevent aerosols from hovering inside the room;
- Open the entrance- and other doors to limit the physical contact moments between visitors and elements such as door handles;
We have shared the additional measures with all our contacts and big organizations in Europe. Interested in our email? Add your organization via our contact form.
No Eid festivities
Qari Muhammad Asim, senior imam at the Makkah Masjid in Leeds and chair of the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board, said it was the first time in British Muslim history that there will no Eid prayer.
“This is something that was unthinkable six months ago, but today unthinkable has become reality,” he said.
The MCB (Muslim Council of Britain) has issued separate guidance for Muslims living in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales reflecting the different government advice in each nation. But across Britain, Muslims have been asked to celebrate virtually and share the traditional gifts by posting them in advance.
Help your local mosque!
There are numerous ways you can fundraise online for your Mosque or charity. Aside from mainstream funding platforms, Muslim-focused platforms include, but are not limited to:
