Mosques feel the squeeze as donations dry up during locked-down Ramadan

Sarkarbari Central Jam-e-Mosque in Gazipur’s Painshail saves around Tk 250,000 after paying clerics from the charitable donations it receives during the month of Ramadan every year.

The savings are used to cover the costs of its day-to-day activities and fund other initiatives down the line.

“We will have to go door to door this Ramadan to raise the funds to pay the salaries and Eid-ul-Fitr allowances of the khatib, imam and muezzin as the number of worshippers has dropped,” said Giasuddin Mokat, chairman of the mosque's governing body.

During Ramadan, both fasting and acts of charity are incumbent upon Muslims who are able to do so, in order to gain a clearer appreciation of human suffering. Mosques typically generate the bulk of their annual budget in Ramadan when donations peak.

This year, however, governments around the world, including Saudi Arabia, have imposed curbs on prayer congregations at mosques in the wake of the global coronavirus pandemic.

Bangladesh followed suit on Apr 6 and restricted mosque congregations to a maximum of five devotees, including the mosque officials while allowing 10 people to participate in the Jummah prayers.

The country boasts more than 268,000 mosques, according to the Islamic Foundation, with the capital, Dhaka, even earning the moniker of the “city of mosques”.

But as the extended nationwide lockdown pan outs, mosques are feeling the strain at a key fundraising time with their coffers running dry.

Almost all mosques in Bangladesh pay their officials using the money received as charity, which goes up manifold in the month of Ramadan. The charitable funds collected during Ramadan helps mosques shore up their finances for the rest of the year.

The picture is not different beyond Bangladesh. In light of the coronavirus crisis, John Biggs, mayor of London’s Tower Hamlets Council, has given the mosques in the area a three-month rent amnesty.

Nevertheless, there have been reports indicating that some people are ignoring the lockdown rules and visiting mosques across Bangladesh at the risk of infection.

Moreover, some mosques have kept their gates open with hopes of boosting their ailing finances.

Last Friday, there were reports of sizeable congregations for the Jummah prayers at Bhogra, Bhawal Mirzapur, Painshail and some other places in Gazipur, which has happened with some regularity during the government-enforced shutdown.

According to some locals, the scenario is much the same in these mosques during the Taraweeh prayers. The committees of these mosques showed little initiative to stop the worshippers from congregating and in turn, limit the risk of contagion.

“Many worshippers can’t pray by themselves and insist on praying together in congregations at mosques. They ignore the government orders in doing so. It feels bad to say no to them,” Md Abdul Bari Hawlader, imam of a mosque in Gazipur’s Dagri, said.

Khatib Mufti Hafizullah Kashemi of a mosque in Tongi’s Machhimpur told bdnews24.com that although they were trying their best to keep the number of worshippers for prayers within the prescribed limit, other mosques in neighbourhoods were not doing the same.

He believes the “sentiments, ignorance, negligence, and illiteracy” of worshippers are leading to such brazen defiance of the social and physical distancing norms during the lockdown.

The rules are being followed by most mosques in Dhaka, but the imams and other leaders have all reported that they are having a hard time keeping devotees away.

“It’s difficult to make people stop coming to mosques. And it’s hard to say how long we will be able to keep them at bay if they keep pressuring us,” said Sultan Ahmed, chairman of Baitul Fazal Jam-e-Mosque in the capital’s Mohammadpur.

The people's disregard for the lockdown curbs when it comes to praying in congregations is guided by the belief that nothing can happen to them at mosques, since these are the “places of Allah”, according to Gazipur’s Deputy Commissioner SM Tariqul Islam.

“But even those with a better understanding of the religion than us have kept their mosques closed,” he said. 

Besides “illiteracy, ignorance and zealotry”, local politics is also playing a big role in keeping congregations going at some mosques, believes Tariqul.

Gazipur city's police chief Md Anwar Hossain also pointed to a lack of awareness among the people about the dangers of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, for the worrying trend.

MONEY MATTERS

Mufti Kashemi, the Khatib of a mosque in Machhimpur, admitted that their long-term financial prospects are directly linked to the attendance of worshippers during Ramadan.

He and other clerics demanded government incentive packages to help mosques pay the salaries and Eid allowances of their staffers.

Some have even called for the outright removal of the curbs.

Sultan Ahmed of Mohammadpur said mosque committee leaders have started discussions to find a way to pay up their clerics and officials.

“It is a very troubling time for us as we also run an orphanage,” he noted.

Islamic Foundation Director General Anis Mahmud told bdnews24.com that it was yet to receive any formal demand for government incentives.

“We will consider it once the demands are placed,” he said.

He claimed mosques were mostly complying with the government restrictions during the lockdown. “No other institutions are doing this,” he said.

“But you can’t stop gatherings at mosques by using the police force. However, raising awareness and convincing people to follow the rules may reap the desired results,” Anis added.

STRUGGLES MIRRORED IN LONDON TOO

The United Kingdom has over 1,700 mosques for more than 3 million Muslims, who account for 5 percent of the country’s population. But mosques along with churches and other places of worship have been closed since Mar 24 as the country continues to grapple with the pandemic.

The mosques are run mainly on support from charitable groups and donations from individuals. Most of the mosques operate on rented spaces.

Mosques in London's Tower Hamlets, however, were given a timely respite when Mayor Biggs waived their rents at the request of the local Council of Mosques.

Abdul Munim Jahedi, the treasurer of the Tower Hamlets Council of Mosques and trustee of East London Mosque, one of the largest mosques in Europe, said the limitations on prayer congregations at mosques have come as a big blow to them.

“The mosques’ main source of income is donations from worshippers during Ramadan and Friday prayers,” he said.

Traditionally, mosques arrange Iftar meals for hundreds of people during the holy month. The East London Mosque typically collected donations worth around half a million pounds.

“The mosque is facing big trouble as the donations have stopped. Many have continued to support us online though,” Jahedi said.

He also said the Muslims have taken the restrictions positively and are following directives from the Council of Mosques and the London Muslim Centre. “Saving lives is the most important thing now.”

[Reporting by Senior Correspondents Liton Haider and Moinul Hoque Chowdhury, Staff Correspondent Masum Billah, Gazipur Correspondent Abul Hossain and UK Correspondent Syed Nahas Pasha. Written by Sabrina Karim Murshed and edited by Turaj Ahmad]