As the blessed month of Ramadan draws to a close and with Eid-ul-Fitr just more than a week away, a Durban lawyer has written a letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa and Cooperative Governance Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma requesting for Eid Salaah to be read in congregation.
Under the current level 4 COVID-19 lockdown regulations, public gatherings have been prohibited and prayers in congregation at places of worship also banned to stop the spread of COVID-19.
In the letter to Ramaphosa and Dlami-Zuma, Bilal Malani from Bilal Malani and Associates says South Africans have dedicated themelves to the fight against the Coronavirus.
Malani says while certain exceptions in the form of exemptions have been made for attending funerals, moving house, shopping in malls and exercising, religious practices are also important.
“Should we not recognise the religious practices as exceptions and create certain exemptions to give effect to such exceptions? The exceptions and resultant exemptions will not infringe COVID-19 regulations but will foster our claim to belief in God.”
Malani says religious observance of holy days like Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Adha, Jumu’ah Salaah, Christmas, Deepavali and Rosh Hashana are deserving of an exemption from the COVID-19 regulations.
He says precautionary measures of social distancing, the use of masks and hand santisers would be strictly adhered to when observing these days without any breach of the COVID-19 regulations.
“It is in this context that application is hereby made for Muslims to be allowed to observe the Eid-ul-Fitr prayer, which marks the end of Ramadaan, in congregation, on or about 24th May 2020 from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., at Mosques or at “open air” venues, subject strictly to the precautionary measures.”
Malani says while Ramaphosa undertook to make amends of COVID-19 regulations during his address to the nation on Wednesday, these amends should also apply to the restrictions against the implementation of religious practices.
Faizel Patel
0 Comments