#117
Midsummer Doldrums

Global news feeds are full of COVID-19 reports, marking the reality that the crisis continues for the foreseeable future, albeit in different forms in different regions and communities. Reports that touched specifically on religious dimensions included worrying cases of discrimination against minority groups, instances of religious leaders contesting restrictions and, more broadly, “speaking truth to power.” We also saw reports of adaptations to COVID-19 circumstances, with the notable case of the limitations on the Hajj, but also a focus on burials and religious peacemaking work in the midst of the pandemic, as well as stories showing how longer term challenges like HIV/AIDS and trafficking, where religious communities are involved, are affected by the COVID-19 emergency.
 
Cambodian Muslims described loneliness as they face discrimination, accentuated by closure of mosques because of the COVID-19 crisis. This follows a long-standing pattern of discrimination, including against Rohingya refugees. Not dissimilarly, the global rise in anti-Semitic hate speech is part of worldwide patterns of seeking groups to blame for troubles.
 
Tensions around the pace of reopening and broader handling of the crisis were reflected in several protests to governments by prominent religious leaders: a Catholic Cardinal in Quebec, a Vatican official citing “senseless politics” in the US and the UK, and a Spanish bishop citing discriminatory restrictions on the Church.
 
The most dramatic adaptation of religious practice was the historic limitations on the Hajj in Saudi Arabia, with poignant photographs contrasting the well-distanced pilgrims this year with the crowds from previous years. The effects extend well beyond Saudi Arabia, for example to Somalia. Tensions around burial spaces and practices continue, with reports from Africa. Meanwhile, adaptations via technology are picking up pace. A less positive note is a “shadow pandemic” of child marriages fueled by COVID-19 pressures.
 
Conflicts that include religious dimensions continue amid the pandemic, but reports this week highlight prominent roles for Catholic religious peacemaking with a focus on the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
 
While the COVID-19 pandemic rages, other crises persist and can be aggravated by it. Examples are the HIV/AIDS pandemic and human trafficking, both situations in which religious communities are deeply involved.