By Mohammed Abdul Salam
As there were some businesses which are marked as essential in united states like Grocery Stores, Pharmacies, Hardware Stores, Gas Stations, Liquor Stores etc. on Friday president Donald Trump included all the religious places in the Essential list emphasizing on mosques and churches in the united states to open right away saying that the America needs more prayers during this pandemic.
Trump commanded Governors to reopen churches, other worship places
Mr. Trump commanded America’s governors to immediately reopen churches and other places of worship shuttered by the coronavirus pandemic, threatening to “override” the state leaders if they refused to follow his directive.
The president revealed that officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were “issuing guidance for communities of faith,” and declared “houses of worship, churches, synagogues and mosques” to be “essential places that provide essential services.”
The President said some governors have deemed liquor stores and abortion clinics as essential but have left out churches and other houses of worship, Trump told reporters. “It’s not right, so I’m correcting this injustice and calling houses of worship essential.”
Eid-ul-Fitr salah
Practicing the same Eid-Ul-Fitr salah was peacefully performed at Masjid As-Sahabah in Saint Paul Minnesota following all the guidelines with a congregation of 10 people in one Jamat and allocating different time slots so that all the musalli’s in the community take advantage of it. Gloves, Masks were distributed, and the rugs were covered by two layers (plastic and paper). In this pandemic time where every-body was missing their salah’s to be offered in masjid here was a great step taken by the As-Sahabah community to let the musalli’s perform Eid salah in the masjid as it is supposed to be.
Other countries/states should perform the same practice with the houses of worship as this is the time prayers are most needed. It makes no sense to open liquor shops where the extent of social distancing is 0 % and people who are drunk have way larger capacity to spread the virus when the compared to dignified and educated individuals who know how to pray and at the same time take precautions during this pandemic.
By Mohammed Abdul Salam, Minnesota USA