Egypt’s Ministry of Awqaf Tightens Virus Preventive Measures at Mosques
Arab World
Cairo - Walid Abdul Rahman
Mass disinfection campaigns are taking place in Egypt’s mosques to prevent a “coronavirus resurgence.” This follows calls from the Ministry of Awqaf to “fully adhere to all precautionary measures and preventative controls concerning the virus.” The ministry also demanded that worshippers “abide by social distancing rules, wear masks and not shake hands.” The Ministry announced new preventative measures that are to be implemented inside mosques. Among them were the closing of washrooms, event halls and religious shrines. Also, the ministry requested that mosques open only ten minutes before the call to prayer so that prayers begin swiftly. It also demanded that mosques close ten minutes after all prayers, or half an hour after the call is made. This comes at a time when Al-Azhar preachers have started “organizing online meetings to raise awareness about the importance of adhering to precautionary measures for confronting the renewed risks of the coronavirus.” The virtual meetings are part of the awareness campaign that was launched on Thursday by Al-Azhar’s Islamic Research Academy to confront the crisis of the resurging coronavirus under the slogan: “Your safety depends on your compliance.” “The campaign aims to raise awareness in line with the demands made by the authorities to adhere to precautionary measures, especially given predictions that cases will increase with the onset of winter,” said Secretary-General of the Academy, Dr. Nazeer Ayyad. Ayyad added: “The campaign’s message stems from the fact that preserving the human soul is one of the five essential objectives of Sharia. If any of them is compromised, corruption will fall upon the people and the country.” “The campaign’s message also stems from the fact that social responsibility requires protecting oneself, not exposing oneself to harm, and recognizing that health is a blessing that should be preserved and maintained.” Commenting on the issue, Dr. Hala al-Saeed, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, spoke about “flexible and adaptive proactive measures taken by the Egyptian government to confront the repercussions of the virus and its impact on the Egyptian economy and all its sectors, especially the tourism.” “The Egyptian government has sought to reduce the losses caused by the virus by encouraging domestic travel and tourism, while taking all precautionary measures in accordance with the health and safety standards of the World Health Organization,” she said. Egypt has recorded 110,095 infections, including 100,760 recoveries and 6,417 deaths.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2625071/egypt%E2%80%99s-ministry-awqaf-tightens-virus-preventive-measures-mosques
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