MOSQUES IN INDIA USED AS WARDS , COMMENDABLE

We hail the big hearted Muslims who have open mosques in India to be used as wards as India’s Covid crisis deepens

This is not a display to show off Muslims good deeds but a honest duty of Muslims to render help to anyone who are in distress.

We are indeed sympathetic to the situation in India which is not witnessing a collapse of the public health system in handling the sharp surge of COVID-19 cases.

The dire situation is compounded with hospitals and medical facilities have been overwhelmed with the recent increasing surge in Covid-19 cases.

The Muslim organisations and individuals who have come forward to help alleviate the growing burden on the country’s healthcare system by offering critical patients oxygen supplies and bed space , is truely commendable.

India has currently over 18.3 million confirmed cases and 204,832 deaths. This figure is still undercounted.

Within the last hour the India’s Ministry of Health announced yet another record number of cases and deaths in the last 24 hours, with 379,257 new cases and 3,645 new deaths.

News of Muslim groups begun to convert mosques into temporary COVID-19 care facilities, like the Jahangirpura mosque in the western state of Gujurat’s Vadodara city , is a honourable effort.

The COVID-19 situation has triggered the noble act of Muslims to provide relief to the people.

Hospital facilities are now under immense pressure pressure with cases surging to more than 350,000 cases a day within the last few days.

This is indeed a situation of a dire need for open hearted Muslims to help to offer space to serve the sufferings of fellow humans.

We salute the Darool Uloom mosque which has opened its doors offering 142 beds fitted with oxygen as well as 20 nurses and three doctors on site.

We call all Muslims in India to show their humanitarian quality as guided by Islam despite the prejudice being directed towards them as the biggest Muslim mimority in India.

Muslims should be seen as equal citizens of India in a critical situation as this. India must display a show of solidarity with all religions to go through the challenging unprecedented pandemic never seen before.

Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid
President Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organizations ( MAPIM )