EBOLA FEARS HAUNT LIBERIA'S `EID

Monrovia, 3 Shawwal 1436/19 July 2015 (MINA) – As Ebola continues to spread fears in Liberia, thousands of Muslims in the west-African country have celebrated `Eid Al-Fitr amid ongoing cautions of the latest outbreak of the deadly virus.

“We thank Allah that the start and end of this year’s fast was peaceful, unlike last year,” Grand Mufti Sheik Abubakar Sumaworo said, On Islam quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

“But with the new cases of Ebola, we all have agreed to join the fight against Ebola,” he said.

`Eid Al-Fitr is one the two main Islamic religious festivals along with `Eid Al-Adha.

After special prayers to mark the day, festivities and merriment start with visits to the homes of friends and relatives.

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And while traditionally everyone wears new clothes for `Eid, children look forward to gifts and traditional `ediya (cash).

In a sharp contrast to last year restrictions, Liberia Muslims were seen shaking hands and sharing meals on Friday, July 17.

Sheikh Abubakar Sumaworo urged imams to and Muslim leaders to stand up and take role in spreading awareness about the disease through mosque pulpits.

“Today we called on all Muslims to observe the Ebola preventive measures by burying their dead safely and reporting sick people,” he said.

Next week, a mass meeting of imams and Muslim leaders in Liberia is scheduled, where they will form strategies on how to help fight the latest outbreak.

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“Last year’s (Ramadan) was painful for me, but I thank Allah that I am alive,” 42-year-old Amanita Kromah, who lost 16 family members to Ebola said.

The virus, for which there is no treatment or vaccine, has claimed almost 5,000 dead across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The Muslim-dominated Republic of Guinea remains the worst affected by the disease that was discovered in 1976 after an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

According to health officials, some traditional practices like touching and washing Ebola’s dead hamper efforts to combat the virus.

Muslims in Ebola-hit countries have been cautioned against washing the bodies of people who died of Ebola to avoid spreading the virus.

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Between 70-80 % of Ebola infected people get the virus during burial of relatives, according to the Sierra Leone Health Ministry.

The contagious disease, which has no known cure, has initial symptoms that include headaches, muscle pain, conjunctivitis and weakness, before moving into more severe phases of causing vomiting, diarrhea and internal and external bleeding.

The fatality rate of the current outbreak is around 60% although Ebola can kill up to 90% of those who catch it. (T/P006/P2)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)