Muslim charities are at the heart of UK Covid-19 response

Muslim charities in the UK have been praised for their role in helping communities handle the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.

A coalition of 194 groups under the umbrella of the Muslim Charities Forum (MCF) has been providing a range of services for those most in need due to the outbreak.

Britain is one of the worst hit countries in the world with more than 304,000 confirmed cases and at least 46,201 people killed, leaving it with the fourth highest death toll overall and the highest in Europe.

MCF’s ‘The Neighbours Next Door’ report details how the organisation has encouraged charities, as well as ordinary Muslims, to take community welfare into their own hands by checking in on their neighbours irrespective of their faith or background.

The Covid-19 outbreak and consequent lockdowns have led to mass bereavement, job losses, mental health issues, and domestic violence, among other social issues.

Muslim charities have been part of the effort to help those affected.

Of the 194 that work with MCF, more than 150 were involved in food and aid distribution, while others were involved with supporting front line workers, burial and bereavement assistance, and the distribution of protective equipment, as well as other forms of support.

Karl Wilding, the CEO of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, said the Muslim community had played an “integral” role in the grassroots response to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Muslim volunteers, local groups and organisations have been pivotal to ensuring that people up and down the UK get the support they so desperately need,” Wilding said.

“They are supporting victims of domestic abuse and helping the most vulnerable and marginalised in our society. 

“Whether supporting the homeless or those with precarious migration statuses, Muslim charities have been committed to ensuring that nobody is left behind.”

Prophetic example

Writing in the The Neighbours Next Door’ report, Fadi Itani, CEO of MCF, said the organisations drew their inspiration from the example set by the Prophet Muhammad, citing a hadith, or saying, which reads: “Let whosoever believes in Allah and in the Last Day honour his neighbour.”

“In this time of crisis, the Muslim community up and down the UK have come out in mass to

support their neighbours in their time of need, no matter their faith, their race, their migrant status, their health or their wealth.” Itani said.

Despite this track record of supporting communities, many British Muslims complain that they are being unfairly villainised by media outlets.

Over the course of the coronavirus pandemic, some newspapers and broadcasters, have run stories about Muslims purportedly violating social distancing guidelines, that many say have either been exaggerated or falsified.