The Muslim Judicial Council of South Africa (MJCSA) has alerted fellow Muslims to avoid the traditional gatherings and ceremonies stating that this Eid can be a potential super-spreader if the guidelines are not followed.
The council said that the community members will have to forego their usual practice of meeting for prayers at open spaces and their visit to cemeteries with family and friends.
The statement said, “Eid can potentially become a super-spreading event, which results in many more people dying, especially if people disobey lockdown regulations and start visiting family (as) it will lose its effect if people start visiting each other at home. Please avoid physically getting together as it puts yourself and your family at risk.”
The Country is observing lockdown since 27 March
As per reports, the country is under lockdown since March 27. The President of South-Africa had declared the fifth-phase plan of lockdown that included some relaxation in the last month.
Muslims in South-Africa gather in large numbers on the beachfront to witness the new crescent moon to signal the end of Ramzan and the advent of Eid the next day. Now the MJCSA has ordered the Muslims to maintain distance and stay home for the second time since the tradition started. The first time they were restricted was during the Second World War.
Reportedly, the Cape Town has been a hotspot for the coronavirus outbreak. The MJCSA said, “The Western Cape is in an exponential phase with the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths. Already there are reports of some hospitals filling up rapidly with critically-ill COVID-19 cases. We have seen a younger spectrum of people dying compared with international figures.”
MJCSA urged the families to stay at home
It further added, “The MJCSA would, therefore, like to request (that) the community should not gather at the moon-sighting points as is customary. We recommend that families stay home on Eid day and not visit their families.”
In South Africa, the Muslim bodies have been urging the fellow Muslims to stay away from cemeteries on the Eid day. A plea has also been made to people urging them to avoid social gatherings for lunch and dinner and suggested to greet each other from distance.
As per reports, many religious leaders of all faith met Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday and urged him to open the religious places with strict guidelines. No decision was taken in this matter.
