Striking the world at the same time, the coronavirus has brought a sense of solidarity and unity among different communities.
On the British national level, many mosques and Muslim relief groups stood up to help the society’s most vulnerable.
The situation is no different in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham where Barking mosque is standing out as a real pillar of the community during the coronavirus crisis.
“Our volunteers are calling the elderly or going to their homes to talk to them from a safe distance. We want them to stay connected – so far we have helped between 45-50 people,” Ash Siddique from Barking Mosque told Barking and Dagenham Post.
Ash – a trustee of the mosque for 25 years – is now part of a volunteering network that is helping hundreds of people in the area.
Working on the BD Can initiative with Barking and Dagenham Council, Ash believes that “local authorities are starting to really see the power of voluntary organizations who work quietly in the community.”
This is not the first time for the mosque to be offering this service and reaching out to the community.
Established in 1986, the mosque has worked for years to help the vulnerable. It has expanded services and introduced new ones to help the area survive this crisis.
The COVID-19 pandemic has infected 1,282,369 and killed around 70,182 people, according to the latest estimates by WorldOMeter.
The UK is grappling with over 47,000 confirmed cases of the new virus. The UK has reported 4,934 deaths so far.