In the face of the growing COVID-19 pandemic and rising fears among the public, many have turned to religious leaders for answers and remedies. Medical crises are often associated with huge spurts in religiosity, with an increasingly paranoid public seeking religious justifications for the medical advice given by health experts. Accordingly, the current coronavirus pandemic is witnessing the interplay of religious beliefs and scientific facts. During such times, religious leaders must use their position of power to encourage people to follow the directives of medical experts in order to contain the spread of disease.
The impacts of a lack of coordination between religious leaders and medical experts can be disastrous. For example, during the Spanish Flu in 1918, a large number of people relied on the advice of religious leaders and flouted the opinions of health experts. The crisis worsened with individuals participating in religious ceremonies in large crowds and religious leaders did little to urge followers to do otherwise.
Ignoring the impact of religion on the current crisis could be catastrophic. In recognizance of this correlation, India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, placed the country under lockdown and prohibited religious gatherings. However, countries cannot achieve the objectives of such lockdowns and restrictions without the support of religious leaders and influencers.
Religious congregations and gatherings hold a significant and proven threat to the increasing number of COVID-19 patients. For example, at the end of February in Malaysia, the annual Tabligh Akbar event attracted over 16,000 attendees to the Jamek Mosque in Kuala Lumpur. 500 COVID-19 patients were traced to the event, causing a spike in cases across the region, spreading to Singapore, Brunei, Cambodia, and the Philippines. Following this, the Malaysian government banned all public gatherings. However, experts believe that Malaysia's decision came too late and that the event should not have been held in the first place.
It was hoped that such events would spur greater consciousness among religious communities across the globe. However, on March 18, Bangladesh, too, saw a similar congregation, wherein 30,000 people gathered to pray “healing verses” from the Koran to combat the COVID-19 outbreak. India has also witnessed various congregations that can prospectively cause a steep rise in numbers. For instance, the Hola Mohalla festival was held in Anandpur Sahib, Punjab in early March. Twenty lakh people attended the annual celebration. After one attendee, who was also India’s fourth COVID-19 related casualty, tested positive after dying, authorities cracked down to prevent an outbreak. Reports found that six patients who tested positive for the virus came in contact with him, from which one confirmed his attendance at the festival. Like Malaysia, it is feared that Bangladesh and India may now see a steep rise in coronavirus cases as a result of not restricting large religious gatherings early enough.
These countries are not alone in finding a balance between religious freedom and disease control and prevention, however. Most countries struggle with enforcing rules that go against the advice of religious leaders. For example, the USA is struggling to find a balance between religious beliefs and health concerns. Rodney Howard-Browne, who leads the Revival Ministries International, denied requests to stop services and even encouraged worshippers to shake hands. Further, Gretchen Whitmer, Governor of Michigan, refused to ban religious gatherings, citing the separation of church and state as a justification.
Iran, too, saw a contest between religious beliefs and state authorities. The decision of the Iranian government to heed to the advice of the health experts and close two popular shrines faced severe public backlash. Various citizens stormed the premises and pilgrims posted videos of themselves defiantly licking the shrines.
Nevertheless, there are also several instances of positive messaging from religious leaders and places of worship during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. With Saudi Arabia banning foreign arrivals at Mecca and Medina for umrah and the Pope live streaming daily Mass and Sunday Sermons, some religious leaders and influencers have used their influence to aid in containing the outbreak.
India, too, has acknowledged the importance of religious leaders and influencers in enforcing the ban on public gatherings. For, example, the Ram Nawami celebration in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh–originally scheduled on March 25–was projected to attract over one million attendees, potentially leading to an uncontrollable outbreak. Initially, concern arose after Ayodhya’s District Magistrate refused to cancel the event despite several warnings by the Chief Medical Officer. However, soon after, the UP government cancelled the event. Ayodhya officials announced that the borders of the town would be sealed to outsiders. This drastic change came after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath impressed upon religious leaders the need to discontinue religious, spiritual, and cultural activities till April 2. Following this, various religious leaders spoke of the importance of protecting society from the outbreak and showed full support for the government’s decision to cancel the event.
In Kerala, three temples organised large-scale festivals, contravening a restriction on public gatherings. Acknowledging the importance of balancing beliefs while imposing restrictions, Kerala’s Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, met with imams, pastors and priests, who then readily agreed to comply with restrictions. Consequently, mosques, priests and churches cancelled religious meetings and reiterated the importance of social distancing. Similarly, the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council issued circulars on the importance of abiding by public safety regulations, and also conducted Sunday Mass over the internet for its followers.
While such events are encouraging, it is necessary to continually stress the enormous threat that religious gatherings pose to public health at this juncture. Simultaneously, it is vital to inculcate the message that these restrictions are temporary and not intended to curb religious freedoms, but rather to protect public health. However, this requires the enduring support and cooperation of religious leaders and places of worship, whose advice may be more likely to be heeded during these challenging times, when many wish to turn to religion for support. This may require a substitution for in-person religious services, such as live streaming, rather than a suspension of them so that people can continue accessing the comfort and warmth that religion provides.
Image Source: Bangkok Post