Indian Authorities Close “Jama’ah Tabligh” Headquarters

New Delhi, MINA – Indian authorities closed the headquarters of Jama’ah Tabligh in New Delhi on Tuesday. The decision came because the group continued to hold meetings that could trigger the spread of coronavirus.

Jama’ah Tabligh held metting at their headquarters last weekend in New Delhi. Previously, dozens of pilgrims tested positive for coronavirus and at least seven people died.

“It seems that the social distance and quarantine protocol is not practiced here,” the New Delhi city government said in a statement, as quoted from Republika.

Authorities said many Muslims visited the five-storey headquarters for meetings. Hundreds of people filled the building. In fact, the government has announced to maintain social distance and stop activities outside the home.

“Administrators violated this condition and several cases of positive corona patients have been found. With this severe act of negligence, many lives are threatened. This is a criminal act,” the statement said.

One of the organizers of the Jama’ah Tabligh center, Musharraf Ali, said they had sought help from the police and the city government to deal with people arriving. However, the lockdown that has been put in place makes things even harder.

“In such forceful circumstances, there is no choice but to accommodate visitors who are stranded with prescribed medical precautions until the situation becomes conducive to their movements or arrangements are made by the authorities,” Jama’ah Tabligh said in a statement.

India has reported 1,251 cases of corona virus with 32 of them dead. However, Health Ministry officials said India could face a huge surge that could flood a weak public health system.

Jama’ah Tabligh also held a meeting last month at the Seri Petaling Mosque in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Their program has become the source of hundreds of coronavirus infections throughout Southeast Asia. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)