23:55, 28 March 2020

Residents of Ingushetia call for closing mosques because of coronavirus

Nazran Central Mosque. Screenshot of the video https://youtu.be/TlSHcqhKIIs

By not closing mosques during the coronavirus epidemic, the Ingush Muslim clergy endanger their believers, Facebook users have stated. They advise local residents not to attend services.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on March 16, the Russian Spiritual Administration of Muslims (SAM) recommended to restrict mosque visiting by people at risk. In Ingushetia, where in September 2019, the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) liquidated the republic's SAM, no general decision on restrictive measures has been taken. At the same time, the mosques in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR), Adygea and Krasnodar Territory are closed since March 24.

On his Facebook, Musa Abadiev, a member of the Ingush Association of Muslims, has urged residents of the republic not to attend mosques. He did not agree that the decision to close mosques should be made after detecting infected believers.

In Europe, mosques are closed for quarantine; and since March 12, all mass Muslim events have been switched over into the remote (online) mode.

Khusen Khashiev, a Facebook user, has criticized those Imams, who refuse to close their mosques.

"Imams will be responsible for people's deaths; they still don't understand the whole enormity of their actions," said Adam Vedzizhev.

Because of the threat of the pandemic, Saudi Arabia may cancel this year's Hajj, the office of the Commissioner for Hajj under the Russian government has informed.

The participants of the Friday March 27 namaz (prayer) reacted negatively even to the fact that it was abridged, Ingush Galgaev has stated.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on March 28, 2020 at 01:16 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.