# Why did clerics in Pakistan insist on reopening mosques during the coronavirus lockdown?

*Why Pakistani clerics announced the reopening of mosques during the pandemic*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/housirokbvu/s/4/
- Date: 2020-04-19 · Kind: discussion · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Shaykh Kashif Khan | Policing thought, Pornography & Pandora's box | MindTrap with Mufti #15 (17:39–20:12)
- Status: a view quoted in order to be discussed, not a position held
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOusirOkBVU&t=1059s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/housirokbvu/

**Topics:** Pakistan; Covid-19; Guest conversations

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** The guest says the clerics privately regard the coronavirus as a conspiracy and turned mosque closures into a religious issue that the authorities were reluctant to confront.

## Longer summary

Mufti Abu Layth asks about the recent announcement by a committee of clerics, led by a mufti whose name is garbled [?], that mosques in Pakistan would reopen during the coronavirus lockdown. The guest says that, first, these clerics believe the coronavirus is a conspiracy theory but will not say so on national television, and gave the public the impression that they had been forced to make an earlier statement closing the mosques, which they reversed the next day. He relays from friends and family in Pakistan that on the following Friday in Karachi worshippers at a mosque attacked the police and the Rangers, including a female officer, and that the police did not retaliate because of the crowd. He says such matters quickly become religious, blasphemy and sectarian issues that no one wants to step into.

## Sources and names cited

- Shaykh Kashif Khan (guest)
- Mufti Muneeb ur Rehman [?]
- the coronavirus pandemic and mosque closures (2020)

## Transcript (machine tier, 17:39–20:12)

[17:03] not have gone through that faith I still be doing you know doing a lot of things which are not part of the religion Oh some some of like not like now nowadays they are doing in Pakistan like they are encouraging people to go and pray and even at the time of this pandemic thrown our thing still encouraging and we're hoping against the government so a lot of these yeah I mean and I was gonna say you know I'm black no tell me you're very familiar with the kind of the Pakistan politics and I mean by that not just the the actual government politics but the the dynamics between the

[17:43] scholarly class as well yes this fitna that's going on right now or this issue of the announcement recently that was made by a committee by most Imani barackman that had diverse Imams on the most he thought he was on the preview auntie that we will now be reopening the masajid what what is this about what what are you and what do you feel about this technically what I feel is there

[18:22] one of the two things first thing is that all these movies like they believe this screw noir is just a conspiracy theory it's not real but they don't want to say it on the you know on the national television and they don't want to say but they are giving this kind of impression because what happens like I think couple of weeks ago when circus morning said that we would not close close down the mosque and suddenly the next day they change their statement so a contract conducted my friends and family in Pakistan I was talking with them so they told me like their Tony

[19:00] Liddell they asked given kind of impression to the public that they are being forced to say this the statement to close down the mock and then the following and then the following Friday in Karachi in the afterbirth incident drop out where the mosque at most attendees and all the people they attacked the police and then they also take the Rangers as well and one of the female official office I think she was in Canada she she got her smash paper

[19:36] smashed by an ahmadi as well and all the other police officer they were resisting to retaliate why because there was a huge crowd they couldn't you know they and then it suddenly went certainly becomes the religious issue no one even if they are posing if they no one there want to step in it just becomes a blasphemy issue sectarian groups operating and anybody can take

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment hOusirOkBVU/s/4. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/housirokbvu/s/4/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.