Dubai – Masaader News
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has airing Islamics such as: Quran or a saying from the Prophet Mohammad, and prayers on 14 local radio stations as mosques remain shut amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“Local radio is all about connecting communities, and we hope these weekly reflections will go some way to helping Muslims feel a sense of community while they are isolating,” said Chris Burns, the head of BBC Local Radio.
The British government ordered all places of worship closed on 23 March as part of its measures aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus.
Many of Britain’s mosques hold thousands of worshippers at a time, including the East London Mosque, which has capacity for 7,000, London Central Mosque with more than 5,000 and Birmingham Central Mosque, which regularly hosts 2,500 worshippers or more for weekly Friday prayer services.
Several mosques and Muslim communities have tried fill the void of the closure by using virtual means to engage in spiritual practices, though the lack of physical connection has been hard to replace.
Still, the impact of the closure will be even more impactful during the holy month of Ramadan, which is set to begin in the third week of April.
Harry Farley, a journalist with BBC Radio 4, responded to criticism of the announcement by pointing out that the BBC already broadcasts Christian services every Sunday.
“And to those complaining about/questioning this, just a reminder that a Christian service is broadcast each Sunday at 8am on all 39 BBC local radio stations,” he tweeted.
The number of Covid-19 cases in the UK increased to 38,168 on Friday, with the death toll reaching 3,605.
In the country’s fight to combat the virus, Muslim doctors and healthcare professionals have been among the first to die on the front lines.
Areema Nasreen, a 36-year-old nurse, became the latest Muslim fatality in the UK, joining five others who have lost their lives in the fight against the disease.