Muslims around the globe celebrated Eid al-Fitr this past week, albeit under difficult circumstances and altered traditions, colored both by the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and conflicts that cast shadows over the celebration that mark the end of Ramadan. Pakistan, India, Malaysia, Egypt, and Indonesia imposed curfews, closed shops, and shut down some mosques in response to rapidly rising COVID-19 numbers. 

In rural Africa, many Catholic priests have had to get creative in order to raise funds for their parishes due to lack of financial support coming in because of the pandemic. Many churches in Africa produce agricultural products and rely on those sales at local markets for church funds. However, lockdown measures made it impossible to sell many of those products or animals, so Rev. Joaquim Chukucha of Zimbabwe decided to think outside the box after his farm and poultry sales started to falter. He established a small brewery with the help of some parishioners. Parishioners were supportive of the venture due to the horrific circumstances brought on by COVID-19, even though houses of worship generally do not produce or profit off of alcohol sales.

As India’s health system continues to falter under the immense pressure of rising COVID-19 deaths and numbers, many fear that medical misinformation is rampant and spread by top officials in some cases. Last year, the government called for more research into the medical properties of milk, urine, and cow dung, a move heavily criticized by Indian scientists. It has been reported recently that many Hindu monks are bathing in cow dung and urine as a protectant. A member of the BJP party from Uttar Pradesh recommended in a video that people consume cow urine as a way to defeat the virus. This past February, a billionaire Hindu spiritual leader got clearance from India’s Ministry of Ayush for an herbal product that he claimed would cure COVID within seven days, and India’s Health Minister was even present at the launch event. After it came under heavy criticism from the science community, the Ministry of Ayush then refused to certify it as a cure but still certified it as a “supporting treatment” against COVID.
 
A recent study found about 50% of American Mormons to be vaccine hesitant (or refusers) even after the church issued recent statements encouraging mask wearing and vaccine acceptance. Church leaders were also proactive from the beginning of the pandemic in closing down churches and encouraging mask wearing. The church issued a policy that any person wanting to serve in a foreign mission must take the vaccine or be assigned to a mission in their home country. 

Finally, on behalf of Faiths4Vaccines, we invite you to join the Faiths4Vaccines National Summit, a multifaith gathering to support equitable and far-reaching vaccine distribution in the United States, on May 26, 2021 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. EDT. Click here to register for the event. Faiths4Vaccines is conducting a survey in advance of the National Summit on faith communities and vaccine administration in the United States. If your religious institutions, houses of worship, or faith-based organizations have been utilized as a vaccination site, please share the impact of your efforts through this survey.