ISLAM IN AMERICA
A Memphis Response to the Covid Challenge A coordinated effort leads to success in keeping the entire Muslim community safe BY HASSAN ALMOAZEN, GHALIB MANNAN AND IBRAHIM SULTAN-ALI
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or the last 17 months we’ve experienced the most devastating pandemic the world has seen in over a century. Not only has it left close to 4 million people dead worldwide, including over 620,000 in the U.S. alone, but it has also had devastating effects on everyone’s lives and completely changed how we live our lives. The pandemic even forced some of the most unthinkable undertakings, such as cancelling the hajj, closing mosques worldwide and observing a Ramadan unlike any other. From the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, Memphis Muslims went into action and formed their Covid taskforce to coordinate the response of the city’s mosques. The first meeting, held in March at Masjid ArRahman, was attended by representatives and imams from the Memphis Islamic Center, Masjid Almu’minun, the Midtown Mosque, Masjid Altaqwa, the Muslim Society of Memphis and Masjid Al-Noor, as well as several of the city’s
Muslim Covid-19 experts including infectious disease and pulmonary physicians. It was unanimously decided to close the mosques, although there were only a few cases in the county at the time, but the disease was out of control in other cities such as New York. The Covid infection positivity rate had reached 10% by April and May 2020, it had increased to 14% in Shelby County and Tennessee.
With the mosques closed, we spent Ramadan in isolation at home. Like most of the world’s Muslims — and for the first time in most people’s lives — we prayed Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha at home as well. This was one of the most emotionally and spiritually challenging times for the Muslims of Memphis and Shelby County. Never had we felt so isolated and detached from our own communities. It was particularly painful
THE PANDEMIC HAS BROUGHT THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER AND MADE EVERY MUSLIM IN THE COUNTY PROUD OF THEIR MOSQUES’ SUCCESSFUL AND COORDINATED EFFORT TO LEAD THIS GIGANTIC EFFORT THAT HAS KEPT OUR COMMUNITY SAFE. NO INFECTION OUTBREAKS HAVE OCCURRED IN ANY MOSQUE OR IN THE COMMUNITY SINCE THE PANDEMIC STARTED 17 MONTHS AGO.
30 ISLAMIC HORIZONS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
