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Pakistan’s Tablighi Jamaat dissolves missionary groups to combat virus spread
RAJA RIAZ
April 04, 2020
Muslims gather to attend Friday prayer after government limits congregational prayers and ordered to stay home, in efforts to stem the spread of corornavirus disease (COVID-19), in Karachi, Pakistan April 3, 2020.
LAHORE: A Muslim missionary movement in Pakistan has stopped its followers from preaching in groups across the country, asking them to cooperate with local authorities and return home to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“All missionary teams in the country have been dissolved. Their members are directed to go home, visit the nearest missionary center or stay right where they are. The members are also instructed to cooperate with the local authorities and act upon their advice,” says a letter sent to all organizational members by the Jamaat’s chief Nazar-ur-Rehman.
The decision has been taken due to the spread of coronavirus in the country after some Tablighi Jamaat members tested positive for the infectious respiratory disease.
In the province of Punjab alone, the total number of the missionary workers who contracted the virus stands at 224. These members are now quarantined at different places, officials say.
Speaking to Arab News, senior government functionaries confirmed that the missionary groups had indeed been dissolved by the organization.
“On our request, Tablighi Jamaat elders have dissolved groups of preachers all over the country and asked them to cooperate with the government. The Jamaat members are also undergoing COVID-19 tests and many of them have already been quarantined,” Adnan Rashid, Assistant Commissioner Raiwind City, told Arab News on Saturday.
The Tablighi Jamaat congregation was scheduled to take place between 10 and 15 March, though it was terminated after two days due to torrential rains.
“It was supposed to be a five-day congregation,” Ahmad Ali, one of the organizers of the event, told Arab News. “It was attended by nearly half a million people with 5,000 foreigners. Due to the inclement weather, we called off the event after two days and most of our members dispersed. Half of the foreigners left for their countries while others stayed at different missionary centers.”
Within the next few days, some members of Tablighi Jamaat, who were visiting Bhara Kahu area in Islamabad, tested positive for COVID-19.
The situation reached a stage where the authorities had to seal the entire locality since multiple coronavirus cases emerged from the neighborhood.
Soon after that, the federal government directed provincial authorities to take cognizance of the situation and quarantine Tablighi Jamaat members, if required.
“We have written to all commissioners and deputy commissioners to identify the Jamaat members in their areas and test them for the virus, turn their missionary centers into quarantine facilities and help them with anything they need. The relevant authorities are still working on this, and they have been instructed to share data with the home department,” Momin Agha, Punjab Additional Chief Secretary, told Arab News.
According to the official information provided by the deputy commissioner’s office in Lahore, the Raiwind Center has been locked down and 2,200 people are still inside the center. Out of these individuals, 41 Tablighi Jamaat members have tested positive so far.
“The Raiwind center of Tablighi Jamaat has been turned into a quarantine facility,” said Imran Maqbool, spokesperson for the deputy commissioner, adding that “41 members inside the locked down area have tested positive for the virus.”
Maulana Tariq Jamil, the face of the Jamaat, has also asked his followers to dissolve all missionary groups and fully cooperate with the authorities in a video.
“We have been taught to obey God, His messenger, and the rulers of the day. Cooperate with the administration and act upon its advice,” the message says.
https://www.arabnews.pk/node/1652996/pakistan
RAJA RIAZ
April 04, 2020
Muslims gather to attend Friday prayer after government limits congregational prayers and ordered to stay home, in efforts to stem the spread of corornavirus disease (COVID-19), in Karachi, Pakistan April 3, 2020.
LAHORE: A Muslim missionary movement in Pakistan has stopped its followers from preaching in groups across the country, asking them to cooperate with local authorities and return home to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“All missionary teams in the country have been dissolved. Their members are directed to go home, visit the nearest missionary center or stay right where they are. The members are also instructed to cooperate with the local authorities and act upon their advice,” says a letter sent to all organizational members by the Jamaat’s chief Nazar-ur-Rehman.
The decision has been taken due to the spread of coronavirus in the country after some Tablighi Jamaat members tested positive for the infectious respiratory disease.
In the province of Punjab alone, the total number of the missionary workers who contracted the virus stands at 224. These members are now quarantined at different places, officials say.
Speaking to Arab News, senior government functionaries confirmed that the missionary groups had indeed been dissolved by the organization.
“On our request, Tablighi Jamaat elders have dissolved groups of preachers all over the country and asked them to cooperate with the government. The Jamaat members are also undergoing COVID-19 tests and many of them have already been quarantined,” Adnan Rashid, Assistant Commissioner Raiwind City, told Arab News on Saturday.
The Tablighi Jamaat congregation was scheduled to take place between 10 and 15 March, though it was terminated after two days due to torrential rains.
“It was supposed to be a five-day congregation,” Ahmad Ali, one of the organizers of the event, told Arab News. “It was attended by nearly half a million people with 5,000 foreigners. Due to the inclement weather, we called off the event after two days and most of our members dispersed. Half of the foreigners left for their countries while others stayed at different missionary centers.”
Within the next few days, some members of Tablighi Jamaat, who were visiting Bhara Kahu area in Islamabad, tested positive for COVID-19.
The situation reached a stage where the authorities had to seal the entire locality since multiple coronavirus cases emerged from the neighborhood.
Soon after that, the federal government directed provincial authorities to take cognizance of the situation and quarantine Tablighi Jamaat members, if required.
“We have written to all commissioners and deputy commissioners to identify the Jamaat members in their areas and test them for the virus, turn their missionary centers into quarantine facilities and help them with anything they need. The relevant authorities are still working on this, and they have been instructed to share data with the home department,” Momin Agha, Punjab Additional Chief Secretary, told Arab News.
According to the official information provided by the deputy commissioner’s office in Lahore, the Raiwind Center has been locked down and 2,200 people are still inside the center. Out of these individuals, 41 Tablighi Jamaat members have tested positive so far.
“The Raiwind center of Tablighi Jamaat has been turned into a quarantine facility,” said Imran Maqbool, spokesperson for the deputy commissioner, adding that “41 members inside the locked down area have tested positive for the virus.”
Maulana Tariq Jamil, the face of the Jamaat, has also asked his followers to dissolve all missionary groups and fully cooperate with the authorities in a video.
“We have been taught to obey God, His messenger, and the rulers of the day. Cooperate with the administration and act upon its advice,” the message says.
https://www.arabnews.pk/node/1652996/pakistan
