Hawzah News Agency (Peterborough - UK) - While places of worship in England were given the green light to re-open for private prayer yesterday, a spokesman from the Joint Mosques Council of Peterborough said mosques would remain closed for the time being.
The spokesman said: “Muslim organizations such as MINAB -(Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board) MCB (Muslim Council of Britain) BBSI (British Board of Scholars and Imams) and many other organizations around the country including JMC are deeply disappointed with the government’s decision to reopen the places of Worship without allowing congregational/Jammat prayers.
“Congregational Jammat prayers are the vital part of the Mosques and Muslim worshipers attend the Mosques primarily for congregational prayers and therefore has requested the government to lift this restriction.
“In the meantime the afore mentioned organizations have strongly advised NOT to open Mosques on June 15 until the government gives the permission for Congregational/Jammat prayers.
“Joint Mosques Council of Peterborough has had several discussions over this matter and with full consultations of Imams agreed to follow the advice of MINAB, MCB, and other Islamic organisations not to open our Mosques as from 15th of June as it will cause potential problems for the Trustees, Management Committees, and the worshipers.
“All the Mosques in Peterborough have agreed to start all the preoperational work in the Mosques such as appointing a Covid 19 Safety Officer, carrying out Risk Assessment, marking the prayer halls by keeping social distances, providing sanitizers at the doors, putting in place various rules and regulation such as bringing own prayer Mats, Masks and many other requirements for the safety of our worshipers which is paramount. It is worth remembering that Covid 19 is still a serious threat more so to Asian/Black communities and to the most vulnerable people who have underlying health conditions such as asthma, heart conditions, diabetes amongst others.
“We therefore request all out worshipers not to come to Mosques until further notice and to continue to
Pray at home as they have been doing so since March 19. We will inform all our worshipers as soon as the government lift this restrictions.”