Faith in action
IN ADDITION to local authorities and lawmakers, UK faith leaders are working to counter the spread of misinformation.
A vaccine hub was opened last weekend at the Al Abbas Islamic Centre in Birmingham. The mosque is one of the dozens of new sites across the country which will offer the immunisation programme. It is expected to vaccinate up to 500 people a day.
The imam, Sheikh Nuru Mohammed, said he hoped it would help dispel false information and would send a “strong message” to the local Muslim community.
“We are doing this to say a big ‘no’ to fake news and a big ‘yes’ to the vaccine,” Mohammed said. “Muslim scholars advise us to get the vaccine because the sanctity of life is important in Islam.”
Communities secretary Robert Jenrick, who visited the Birmingham site last Saturday (23), said faith leaders were helping build trust in the community and saving lives by encouraging take up of the vaccine.
“The more that we are able to do that, the quicker we will be able to lift these restrictions,” the minister said.
The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir or Neasden Temple in London, one of the UK’s largest temples, has also been addressing many of the concerns and doubts during its daily live webcasts watched by thousands and through videos in Indian languages.
Home secretary Priti Patel has praised the work being done by temples, mosques and gurdwaras to counter myths.
At a virtual event organised by the Conservative Friends of India (CFIN) diaspora group last week, Patel said: “If
we step up to assure people within our communities that the vaccine is solid, safe, efficacious, it’s not conflicting with our religious values or anything of that nature, we will save lives.”
She added: “It’s about protecting our friends, family and loved ones – be it through our gurdwaras, mosques or mandirs, it is important to relay that message.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer agreed church leaders were in a good position to promote vaccine uptake.
“I do think faith leaders play a very special part in this,” he said. “I’m a big believer in faith and the importance of faith but particularly during the pandemic, there is a role of leadership in faith. Communities will listen to faith leaders in a way that they may not necessarily listen to politicians and others.”