Germany’s mosques reopening, but within tough health regime

Doaa Emam

Some countries have started adopting policies aiming at co-existing with the coronavirus. Germany is one of the countries that have started loosening some of the coronavirus restrictions.

German authorities have allowed Muslims to perform prayers at the mosques. Nevertheless, they committed them to some health guidelines.

The Supreme Council for Muslims determined a limit to the number of Muslims who can attend each prayer.

Those praying, the council said, have to keep a distance of two meters from each other inside the mosques.

It required those praying at the mosques to leave their names and phone numbers in case the authorities need to contact them in the future, especially in the case of the emergence of infections.

Those praying at the mosques, the council said, have to be over 12 years of age. They have to wear facemasks inside the mosques, it added.

German media linked the decision to reopen the mosques with remarks by the head of the council in which he said coronavirus restrictions had emptied the mosques.

The council head said the mosques had gone bankrupt because they depend on donations from those praying at them.

The mosques use these donations, he said, in paying rents, mortgage and the salaries of their workers.

The continued closure of the mosques during the Islamic month of Ramadan would but make their problems worse, the council head said.

He said between 30 and 60% of the donations come to the mosque during the Islamic month of Ramadan.

He noted that some of the mosques would not be able to reopen after the end of the coronavirus crisis because of the financial problems they suffer.