Canadian Muslim COVID-19 Task Force Launches Reopening Guidelines and Calls for Due Diligence

As regions with the highest rates of infections open up, the task force cautions places of worship that open without a registration, sanitization and physical distancing plan.

“After extensive national and international consultations with Imams, community leaders and public health experts, the task force has put together these resources to ensure that we minimize community spread as we re-open to the public. Our recommendations are going above and beyond what provincial governments are requiring, and follow a public consultation period and town hall last weekend with mosque and Islamic centre leaders from coast to coast,” states Dr. M. Hashim Khan, respirologist and Co-Chair of the CMCTF.

Shaykh Zahir Bacchus, board member of the Canadian Council of Imams recommends that, “All Imams leading Friday prayers should focus their sermons on the importance of the health and well-being of our sisters and brothers visiting the mosque. We must encourage each other to adhere to the physical distancing and PPE protocols if we want to be able to pray in the mosque. We must embrace this new reality during this pandemic. It is our religious duty.”

Task force Co-Chair and executive director of the Muslim Council of Peel, Rabia Khedr states, “We are very grateful for the time and effort put in by members of the Muslim Medical Association of Canada and the Canadian Council of Imams. It is truly heart-warming how so many very busy people have volunteered their time and expertise to ensure that appropriate information and guidelines are available.”

You can read the Guidelines online here