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Mosques in Japan responding to COVID-19 pandemic: Infection prevention and support provision
- Source :
- International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction
- Publication Year :
- 2022
- Publisher :
- Elsevier BV, 2022.
-
Abstract
- Religious activities tend to be conducted in enclosed, crowded, and close-contact settings, which have a high potential of transmitting the coronavirus disease, 2019 (COVID-19); therefore, religious communities are expected to take appropriate infection prevention measures. Meanwhile, during past natural disasters, religious communities have provided various types of support to affected people; hence, their role in disaster risk reduction has received much attention. In this study, we aimed to identify the infection prevention measures and support provision implemented by mosques—Islamic institutions managed and operated mainly by foreign Muslims living in Japan—during the one year from January 2020. We collected qualitative information from newspaper articles (18 articles on 19 mosques) and interviews with representatives of three mosques. We found that various infection control measures were implemented in mosques—refraining from mass prayers and closing buildings from an early stage (around February 2020); canceling large-scale events during the month of Ramadan; moving some activities online; and ensuring indoor ventilation and safe physical distance even when continuing face-to-face prayer activities. We also found that various types of support were provided by mosques—donating masks to the local government; listening to problems of people affected by COVID-19 regardless of their nationality; providing financial support to them; translating and disseminating information to foreign Muslims; and providing religious meals for them. This study provides actual examples of infection prevention measures taken by mosques in a Muslim-minority society and suggests that mosques appropriately responded to the needs of religious minorities during disasters, including COVID-19.
- Subjects :
- Minority
Disaster risk reduction
business.industry
media_common.quotation_subject
Geology
Building and Construction
Public relations
Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology
Islam
Muslim
Prayer
Article
Newspaper
Coronavirus
Religion
Political science
Local government
Pandemic
Infection control
Nationality
Active listening
Faith-based organization
business
Safety Research
media_common
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 22124209
- Volume :
- 69
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....cd75a19a3e9f0e0f52cee50b73083d60