Joint Statement From the National Muslim Task Force on the Coronavirus
March 19, 2020

View a PDF of the letter here.
To counter the severe outcomes of the coronavirus pandemic, the Muslim Public Affairs Council joined nearly 35 fellow American Muslim religious, civic, community, medical, and healthcare organizations across the United States to participate in a National Muslim Task Force on COVID-19. We released a joint statement from this task force to provide recommendations to our community members for how to maneuver through these trying times and best protect ourselves and one another from harm.
With the diverse expertise of our task force participants, this statement not only outlines the medical facts about COVID-19, but also urges American Muslims to follow local protocols for self-quarantine and social distancing, recommends organizations provide religious counseling and similar services online, and, by consensus of religious leaders, requests that public congregational prayers (including Jumuah) be suspended.
Please take the time to review our statement, practice our recommendations, and share it with your friends and family. As always, MPAC is here to serve you and thanks you for your support.
Key takeaways:
- Anyone can contract the coronavirus; there is no vaccine for the disease yet, nor is anyone immune from it; there are no known treatments for COVID-19; many of those spreading the virus are completely unaware because they show no symptoms
- All non-essential gathering should be suspended immediately
- Follow the advice of local, regional, state, and national public health or government authorities to practice self-quarantine and social distancing
- If we do not practice recommended measures, we risk facing a shortage of healthcare resources to care for all patients with COVID-19
- Islamic principles dictate that “avoiding harm takes precedence over acquiring benefit,” and as such, our places of worship should suspend public congregational prayers, including public Jumuah prayers, to protect the lives of congregants
IN THIS SECTION
- Policy Analysis
- Statements & Press
- White House Nominates Rashad Hussain as Ambassador for Religious Freedom
- The Blackhouse Foundation and MPAC’s Hollywood Bureau held their first-ever Television Screenwriting Lab for Black Muslim Writers.
- MPAC CONGRATULATES NUSRAT JAHAN CHOUDHURY ON HISTORIC NOMINATION
- GOP Blocks Coronavirus Bill
- Protect Rights During COVID-19
- Coronavirus Joint Statement
- Senate Passes Coronavirus Relief
- Iran Sanctions In COVID-19
- Historic Senate Relief Package
- Coronavirus Stimulus Problems
- Trump Immigration Suspension is Nothing but Cynical Opportunism
- House Introduces the HEROES Act
- Joint Action to Condemn the Murder of George Floyd
- Toward Pluralism: DA Rosen Must Retract His Whistleblower Complaint
- Supporting of Attorney General Keith Ellison Leading Prosecution for Murder of George Floyd
- Trump’s Executive Order on Census Is Unconstitutional
- MPAC Stands with the NBA Players
- What Muslims Want Heading into the 2020 General Election
- Declare Rittenhouse a Terrorist
- MPAC Firmly Denounces the Failure of the Criminal Justice System for Breonna Taylor
- There Is No Place For Violence in Civil Society
- Updates
- A Win Against White Supremacy
- Mosque Safety & Security
- How We’re Confronting White Supremacy
- Our Work on the Muslim Ban
- 2020 Muslim Voter Guide
- Responding to Covid-19
- Census 2020: What You Need To Know
- Human Security During COVID-19: Our Right
- Quarantine Webinars
- Make an impact in 1, 2, 3...
- Mark Kevin Lloyd is Unfit to Serve in State Department
- SoCal Muslims Show Gratitude To Frontline Workers
- DREAMERS are here to stay!
- A Ramadan Like No Other
- Creating inclusive content for kids & families
- National Muslim Task Force Recommendations for Ramadan During This Pandemic
- Ramadan Mubarak!
- Tale of Two Futures: American Muslim Life After the Election
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