Paul
Goble
Staunton, March 21 – In order to
prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the five Moscow mosques cancelled services
at their facilities and instead used the Internet to reach out to believers. As
a result, instead of the normal 10-13,000 worshipers, they attracted 94,000
believers, Muslim leaders say (ng.ru/faith/2020-03-20/100_200320covid19.html).
Muslim leaders acknowledged that
some of those who went online may have done so more out of curiosity than from
a desire to pray, but this pattern does suggest that in this time of crisis at
least, ever more people are turning to their faith and are pleased to be able
to make use of the Internet to do so.
Moscow was not the only city where
Friday services went online this week. Muslim leaders in Arkhangelsk,
Kaliningrad, and Sverdlovsk oblasts also chose to go online to conduct
services. Elsewhere, some mosques held services but restricted attendance and required
those attending to maintain social distance of one to two meters between
congregants.
Given the success on online services,
it is almost certain that those mosques which had such services this week will
do so throughout the crisis, that others will join them, and that at least a
few will continue this form of outreach, something that could make it easier
for the Muslims of Russia, many of whom do not have a mosque nearby even now,
to pray.
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