'Virus doesn't have a religion': Masjid committees come forward to help Covid patients in Kashmir

With the second wave of coronavirus wreaking havoc across Kashmir, Masjid committees in the valley have decided to raise money to procure lifesaving equipment and tools to help Covid-19 patients.

The money is being spent by local Masjid committees from their respective ‘Bait-Ul-Maal’ (House of Treasury) for procuring lifesaving gears like oxygen cylinders, concentrators and other equipment as well.

The decision was taken by masjid committees at local level after Covid-19 cases and deaths started rising rapidly and hospital beds fell short. Muzaffar Ahmad, a member of Makthab-Ul-Taleem Ul-Qural-Wal-Hadith ‘Bait-Ul-Maal’ in Balgarden area of Srinagar said that they have procured 39 oxygen concentrators from the reserve funds so far.

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“More than 200 Covid patients have used these concentrators. Procuring lifesaving equipment during times of pandemic is saving humanity and I believe all local Masjid committees should work for the sake of humanity,” he said.

There have been desperate calls on social media as a huge rush of Covid patients has overwhelmed Kashmir’s already creaky health infrastructure, with hospitals running out of beds and oxygen, while critical drugs are being sold on a thriving black market.

Social media platforms have been flooded with SOS messages from people pleading for oxygen cylinders and hospital admissions as authorities struggled to cope with the scale of the crisis. It has been local charity groups and masjid committees that have come to the rescue of underprivileged patients in Kashmir.

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Grand Mufti of Kashmir’s Nasir-ul-Islam said that they have communicated to masjid committees that some amount from ‘Bait-Ul-Maal’ should be utilised to procure the lifesaving equipment and tools in the respective areas to save lives of Covid patients.

“In case of emergencies, a Covid patient who does not necessarily require going to the hospital can utilize the equipment without any problem,” he said and added spending money in saving human lives is more important than constructing a Masjid.

However, Mufti Nasir said they don’t have the exact figures as to how many masjid committees were utilizing the funds of ‘Bait-Ul-Maal’ during the prevailing pandemic situation. “I can say that more than a hundred committees are procuring lifesaving equipment and tools,” he said and added that the basic concept of ‘Zakat’ (charity) is to benefit people from the underprivileged background.

A member of a masjid committee from uptown Jawahar Nagar area told DH that besides procuring life-saving gears, they have been providing money from ‘Bait-Ul-Maal’ to jobless and underprivileged people who have requirements of procuring medicines for Covid patients.

“We have been helping patients of all faiths. Virus does not have a religion and we believe it’s a crisis and we must aid all and show our humanity,” he added.