By Kashif-ul-Huda and Dr. Shamsuz Zaman
India is anarchy at the best of times. The reason the country seems to be functional is due to people’s innovative and enterprising attitude, the ability to do quick improvisation with whatever little resources they have. The government whenever it intervenes, however well-intentioned, causes more roadblocks and problems for people. And by chance, if people are soon able to discover a workaround these official roadblocks to restore the balance, doesn’t mean that there was no economic, societal, and psychological cost to administration diktats that cannot be measured in lives and rupees.
The government of India’s response to the global Covid19 pandemic – starting from the Prime Minister – has been outrageous, out of touch, ridiculous, unprepared, negligent, and criminal. Media, instead of playing watchdog to the government, is happy to play “antakshari” at best or over-eager in demonizing Muslims at worst. Medical professionals have been sounding the alarm about lack of PPE, ICU beds and ventilators and how unprepared India is to handle this health care crisis but their appeals are drowned by the “loud banging of the pots” and blinded by the “lighting of the candles”, both initiatives proposed by the Prime Minister who is yet to hold a press conference or talk to medical professionals.
The bottom line, guided by looking at what happened in other countries, means India is poised towards a crisis of historic proportions. The data which we are using to gauge the sense of Covid19 effect comes from studies done in China, Italy, Germany and USA which have extremely robust healthcare systems and these countries spend a substantial portion of their respective GDPs into health care. We are looking at possibly tens of millions of positive cases and hundreds and thousands of deaths. This is no exaggeration and even this estimate can be at the lower side unless some spontaneous biological changes happen which reduce the virulence of the microorganism. The vaccine development will take at least a year and even if it is successfully developed, its mass production to cover the entire human population will take a LONG time.
“And they planned and Allah (also) planned, and Allah is the best of planners.” [Quran: Al Imran verse 54]
If at the best of times Indians cannot look to their government for help then imagine how spectacularly government machinery will fail when the impact of this pandemic will be all over India and the number of affected will run in the millions. What this means that individuals, groups and communities need to support each other in this time of extreme difficulty. No one can survive alone. Given the hate virus that has spread in the Hindu middle class, we know that even if the government acts, the religious minorities, Dalits, and Adivasis will be the last in the line of beneficiaries. Hence here are some recommendations for Muslims to start planning and preparing for what is most certainly coming their way.
Most Muslim religious leaders are now in agreement that there should not be any congregational prayers (namaaz ba-jamaat) till this pandemic is over. Muslims should know that the Kaaba is closed for a month and the annual Hajj pilgrimage too is unlikely this year. Last time Hajj was suspended due to a pandemic was in 1814 due to plague. So we must understand the gravity of the situation which is unfolding before us. Muslims should not covertly gather in the mosque to offer prayers. It is now evident that a large number of people are asymptomatic carriers of the virus, i.e. the virus sits in their noses and throats without affecting them, The act of cleaning and blowing the nose during wuzu (ablution) can aersolise the virus which can infect a more susceptible person. Our elderly (and even young ones!) might argue that no one can stop Muslims to go to mosques even if it means death. We must turn to the glorious Quran which states that
..And who so saves a (human) life it is as if he has saved the entire mankind. [Quran: Al Maida verse 32]
It is a duty upon Muslims to save as many lives as possible, including ours. This means that Masjid buildings should be offered as quarantine centers and isolation wards. Muslim localities are usually congested and quarantine/isolation in small homes will invariably risk the other household members especially those who live in joint families. Designating mosques as quarantine/isolation centers will cut down this risk drastically. Community leaders should ask for a donation of cots, charpais, and beds and start preparing the masjid for catering to two types of patients. One, for all positive cases or people who need to be quarantined and don’t show any symptoms yet. Two, those who show symptoms should be moved to a different part of the masjid so that they accidentally don’t infect the first group who may have false positives or mild symptoms.
Those who are severely sick should be shifted to the hospital. All those facilities should also make sure that women are also accommodated, this is not the time for a religious debate about the separation of men and women. Separation of those who are tested positive is important to keep most vulnerable safe i.e. elderly, cancer patients, people with diabetes, or heart conditions.
The community should also ask for volunteers who can take care of the people who are put in isolation. They should tie up with doctors and other health care workers to train these volunteers in basic first aid and sanitation requirements of dealing with a viral disease.
“Every soul must taste death.” [Quran: Al Ankabut verse 57]
With a pandemic of this nature, we have to be prepared for deaths both mentally and physically. There are lots of people around us today who will not be with us by the time we are out of this tragedy. We will lose our loved ones. We need to be ready to bury a big number of bodies in a short amount of time. The bodies should not be kissed or hugged as is the prevalent custom in southeast Asia. Another group of volunteers should be trained and prepared, guided by medical professionals and religious scholars, on how to give symbolic “ghusl”, handle the body, do janaza with a bare minimum of people. We may also need to think about mass graves for safe and quick disposal of bodies.
Loudspeakers atop the minarets should be used for community announcements and daily zikr sessions to give people hope and provide support for spiritual and mental well beings. This is a time of incredible pain and loss and we need our religious leadership to work overtime in making sure that community functions as a community by taking care of itself and we don’t descend into a chaotic society where everyone is not looking beyond their interests.
“Cooperate with one another in goodness and righteousness…” [Quran: Al Maida verse 2]
The recommendations here are not to suggest that Muslims withdraw themselves from the larger society and cut themselves off. They need to be in regular communications with the government officials and hospitals in the area for updated information. They should also be available for people and communities that are physically close to them and help them in their hour of needs especially with the lessons learned, how to make best use of resources and how to be self-sufficient.
When this is all over, there will be a huge task of community-building and nation-building. A hundred years ago in the aftermath of the First World War, Indian Muslims provided valuable leadership to India and launched the first nationwide mass movement that jump-started India’s Independence struggle and eventually led to the formation of the modern Indian state. This historic time is upon us again.
The lessons learned from the anti-CAA NRC struggle need to be put into practice and in the days of quarantine let’s ponder over what a new India shall look like. An India where there is no one illegal, an India where everyone has equal opportunities and resources to be successful irrespective of their accidents of birth and identity. An India where we care about the poorest, weakest, and sickest amongst us. An India where everyone has an equal shot at success in the fields of their choice. An India where one’s identity distinguishes them but doesn’t make them separated and hence persecuted.
Shams is a medical doctor working in Delhi. Kashif is the former editor of TwoCircles.net, first daily news website covering Indian Muslims.