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- As the country is experiencing a second wave of Covid-19 infections, the Muslim Judicial Council has urged the Muslim community to immediately stop all social gatherings and events.
- This directive follows a meeting the MJC held with medical professionals on Sunday.
- South Africa passed the one million mark of confirmed Covid-19 cases by Sunday.
The Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) has urged the Muslim community to immediately stop all social gatherings and events because of the second wave of Covid-19 infections.
On Sunday, the MJC held a meeting with a panel of medical professionals on the increase in Covid-19 infections and deaths in South Africa in recent weeks.
In a statement, the MJC said the medical professionals had given advice, which led to the issuing of a number of directives.
READ | KZN health care system 'crippled' as paramedics battle Covid-19 overflow
Among the directives, the MJC has asked the Muslim community to "immediately cease or cancel all social gatherings or events" as an acknowledgement that the increase in infections is due to social gatherings, whether religious or mundane. It also said that only the bare minimum of people should attend funerals.
Other directives include:
- The Muslim community should adopt alternative virtual methods of social interaction and gathering, such as Zoom and Skype.
- Weddings should either be deferred to a later, and hopefully safer, date, or be conducted in a manner with the minimum threat of spreading the virus.
- Beyond social gatherings, members of the community of all ages are exhorted to remain indoors as far as possible and not to leave their homes unnecessarily.
- Ulama and imams are encouraged to record and circulate talks and lectures that will fortify the community in the days ahead.
In terms of religious gatherings, the MJC said a number of mosques, also known as masajid, had already taken the proactive step of closing.
"We commend those masajid for the responsibility with which they have acted, simultaneously beseeching Allah to shorten the period of closure by bringing this pandemic to an end," the MJC said in the statement.
The statement continued:
"In view of the present unabated surge in infections, and rise in fatalities, we very strongly advise even those masajid that have been, and will continue to stringently implement preventative measures, to also close."
Call to prayer should continue
The council added that the Islamic call to prayer should continue from masajid and prayers should be performed at home.
Acknowledging the limitation of freedoms, the council said the restrictions it is calling for the Muslim community to impose upon itself will inevitably be compared with the relative freedom from restrictions elsewhere.
"At this moment, our course of action should be dictated not by analogy upon what others are doing, but by the responsibility which our Deen imposes upon us."
READ | Covid-19: SA breaches one million cases
News24 reported on Sunday that South Africa had officially breached the one million mark of confirmed Covid-19 infections.
A total of 9 502 new infections were reported by Sunday.
According to Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, by Sunday the total number of Covid-19 infections was 1 004 413.
In a statement, Mkhize said a further 214 Covid-19 deaths were recorded by Sunday, with the death toll now at 26 735.
Last week, Mkhize said recent increases in infections indicated that the novel coronavirus was spreading exponentially faster than the first wave, adding the peak would be surpassed in the coming days, News24 reported.
Mkhize warned that further restrictions may have to be considered.
Earlier on Sunday, News24 reported that the National Coronavirus Command Council was due to meet on Sunday amid calls from hospitals and healthcare workers for harsher restrictions.
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