PHOTO CREDIT - BERNAMA
KLANG VALLEY, April 14 — Donations given by mosques and surau here are for anyone affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, including non-Muslims.
Director of the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (JAWI) Mohd Ajib Ismail said the aid does not use funds from the department or government but is instead from mosque collections and contributions from strategic partners, BERNAMA reported.
“We want to send out the message that although the mosques are closed, it does not mean they are not functioning. During the Movement Control Order (MCO) period, the mosques continue to help people whose supplies have been cut off.
“This includes non-Muslims, like the Prophet Muhammad taught us, the aid is given to anyone,” he told reporters after presenting donations to non-Muslims at the Ar-Rahimah Mosque in Kampung Pandan today.
At the event, 58 non-Muslim persons from the area around the Ar-Rahimah Mosque received donations comprising essential foods including rice, cooking oil, sugar, flour and condensed milk.
For the record, mosques and surau in the Federal Territory have donated RM1.2 million to 19,523 people since the MCO was imposed on March 18.
Meanwhile, one recipient,Yin Chung, 56 said his income as a Grab driver was affected after the MCO began since he could no longer drive as he did not want to be at risk of getting an infection.
“I have only some savings and have to spend carefully. Giving non-Muslims this aid is a way to change the negative perception of some people towards Islam,” he said.
PJ mosque distributing food to non-Muslims
Portal FMT reported a mosque in Petaling Jaya has been distributing food to surrounding residents including non-Muslims, winning praise from the public even as Malaysians put up with a barrage of racially charged narratives on social media related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
For several days a week, the Al-Islamiah Mosque in Kampung Lindungan, a working class area in Petaling Jaya just a few minutes’ drive from the glittering lights of the Sunway Pyramid mall, has been handing out items such as rice, eggs, biscuits, cooking oil and chicken to surrounding residents.
The items are donations from the public as well as NGOs.
One photograph shared on Facebook showed a group of non-Muslim women lining up in the mosque compound, drawing praise for the mosque management from social media users.
“You are an example to all, especially Muslims,” said one.
Mosque spokesman Muhammad Hafis Asib said the initiative was meant to help those from the B40 category who comprise the majority in the area, many of whom lost their income under the movement control order (MCO).
Hafis said non-Muslims make up about 40% of the residents there.
“We welcome them. We don’t want to let them down. In Islam, anyone who needs help should be given help,” he told FMT.
“We are grateful we are able to do something in such times.”
Hafis also appealed for more funds to purchase essential goods, saying the mosque has limited funding.
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