The COVID-19 Pandemic is a global catastrophe, but the effects of the Pandemic aren’t shared equally. Social issues like vaccine hesitancy, lack of education and poor adherence to COVID-appropriate behaviour are leading to disproportionate rates of infection and deaths in the Islamic community. This isn’t peculiar to any one part of the world and different parts of the world are experiencing that the Muslim community is more severely affected by the Coronavirus outbreak.
Reports from France, the United Kingdom and Israel hint that deaths amongst Muslim communities due to the COVID-19 Pandemic in these countries has been much higher than the general COVID-19 death rate. So why has the Pandemic hit the Muslim community harder?
There are several reasons to blame for this aberration, but the most prominent among them are issues stemming out of a common lack of awareness. Lack of education and consequent awareness in the Muslim community have created a tendency of not adhering to COVID-19 guidelines. Similarly, another reason for large number of infections and deaths in the Islamic community is the tendency to live in overcrowded ghettos, which is visible in many parts of Europe, Asia and other parts of the world. It has resulted in much faster spread of the virus within the community. Also, lack of education has led to greater engagement in menial, low-paying jobs that leads to more exposure to the virus in the community.
And then, lifestyle habits is another factor leading to higher Coronavirus deaths in the Islamic community across the world. It is scientifically established that inbreeding leads to a weak gene pool and low immunity. Similarly, dietary habits that involve excessive consumption of meat again lead to deficiency problems that bring down the immunity levels, which puts a large section of population at risk of being affected by the Pandemic.
Finally, there is a social issue of domination by clerics. When the clergy decides norms of behaviour, scientific principles take a backseat. Orthodox elements started vilifying the use of non-halal products like alcohol-based sanitizers and even vaccines that again exposed almost the entire community to the deadly virus.
In France, gathering data based on religion and ethnicity is forbidden. But Reuters has reportedly collated data that shows how Muslims have been hit harder by the COVID-19 outbreak in France, which is estimated to have the European Union’s highest Muslim population. Data collected by Reuters also suggests that the COVID-19 death rate in French Muslims is much higher than in the overall population.
As per Reuters, excess deaths among French residents born in majority Muslim North Africa were 2.6 times higher in 2020, as compared to the French-born residents. Also, French residents born in sub-Saharan Africa recorded 4.5 times higher deaths than the French-born residents.
It is reasoned by community leaders and researchers that French Muslims tend to have a below-average socio-economic status. They are more likely to be employed in low-paying jobs, reside in cramped households with multiple generations and earn lower hourly wages than the national average. This is contributing to a higher impact of the COVID-19 crisis on French Muslims.
The United Kingdom, another European country with a high proportion of Muslim population, too has recorded disproportionately high number of COVID-19 deaths amongst its Muslim residents. As per data from the United Kingdom’s Office of National Statistics (ONS), 4,191 Muslims died due to the Coronavirus by the end of February this year.
The data on COVID-19 deaths in England shows that the Muslims are, by far, the worst-affected community in the country. The death rate amongst UK-based Muslims is twice as high as that amongst Christians residing in the country.
The ONS report is silent on the reasons behind disparity in the number of COVID-19 deaths between different religious groups, but experts again point out issues like low income and menial jobs, which increases exposure to the virus.
Outside Europe too, the COVID-19 Pandemic seems to be affecting the Muslim community disproportionately. In Israel, a Health Ministry study published on Thursday revealed that the death rate from the Coronavirus amongst Israeli Arabs has been three times higher than that recorded in overall Israeli population.
In India too, there are indications of unequal impact of Coronavirus due to insecurities, vaccine hesitancy and rumours.
According to a report by The Print, an Indian news portal, deep-rooted insecurities, ill-conceived apprehensions, a distrust of the Modi government and a lack of information are all contributing to very few Muslims getting vaccinated in India’s northern state of Bihar.
Take the case of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), a University whose status as a ‘minority’ institution is presently subjudice. Recently, 38 AMU teachers, including 17 serving ones, died of Covid or Covid-like symptoms. Later, it was reported that a rumour was circulating among the staff of the university that people are dying due to the vaccines. In fact, it was also being rumoured that the second wave of the pandemic occurred due to mass vaccinations.
As per a report, primarily three rumours were circulating in the univeristy.
- People die a few days after getting vaccinated;
- Vaccines leads to infertility and impotency and
- People get infected after getting vaccinated.
Low turnouts at vaccination centres and a tendency to avoid the vaccine jab worsen the cost inflicted by the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Even in other parts of Asia, there were religious dictums regarding vaccination. Last year, Indonesia, the most populous Muslim country in the world, had announced that any COVID-19 vaccine would have to be ‘Halal’ certified by the country’s Islamic clerical body. Ultimately, China’s CoronaVac was declared by Indonesia’s Ulema Council as “holy and halal”.
Halal is the Arabic word for permissible. Halal food or products, and in this case, vaccines are those which adhere to Islamic law. Non-halal products, referred to as ‘haram’ are generally viewed as a taboo among Muslims.
But like all other countries that used Chinese vaccines, Indonesia too found out that the Chinese vaccines are ineffective. Presently, Indonesia is undergoing a health crisis despite using Chinese vaccines.
As for hand sanitisers, many in the Muslim community feel that since they contain alcohol, they are haram according to Islamic law.
The fact remains that the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the entire world. But differences in socio-economic status and general awareness regarding health facilities like Coronavirus vaccines have reportedly affected the Muslim community more severely in several parts of the world.