UK mosques could close forever due to coronavirus lockdown, says Muslim Council of Britain

The Muslim Council of Britain has suggested that the UK mosques now face the danger of being shut forever if the financial difficulties worsen.

Harun Khan, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, expressed his concern in an interview with a media organization. "Mosques will be hit very substantially. Majority of the mosques are run as charitable organisations. They rely heavily on the support they get from visitors and worshippers. That's almost disappeared overnight," he said.

The mosques in the UK are publicly funded, i.e. through donations from generous believers and when people visit. However, as the lockdown continues in the country, these mosques have been hit hard financially.

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The news came on the first day of Ramadan. As Muslims around the world are worried about drastic changes during the month-long Ramadan, Harun Khan said it is a very challenging time and "itwill be a Ramadan like never before."

The mosques, during Ramadan usually host various classes for children, gatherings and the congregation comes in five times a day. However, these mosques are now empty as everyone is connecting with each other through various social media platforms.

The head of welfare services at Birmingham'sGreen Lane Mosque, Salim Ahmed, told a media organization that they are hosting broadcasting their classes and prayers online. "A lot of what we're doing is moving online, we're going to have six hours of content, talks and reminders about Ramadan and Islamic reminders.

"There'll also be live broadcasts of the call to prayer and Quran recitation for those who would usually enjoy coming to the mosque to read the holy book."

In the government's daily briefing, Health Secretary Matt Hancock thanked the British Muslim community. for staying at home and following the protocol. He also thanked the health care workers of the community for their sacrifice of serving the country instead of celebrating with family at home. "Thank you for making changes to these vital parts of your practise. I want to say to you all, Ramadan Mubarak. Thank you for your service and citizenship and thank you for your sacrifice," he said.