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COVID-19: Exploring Faith Dimensions
WEEKLY HIGHLIGHT
#216 COVID-19 in "Normal Times"; Discrimination and Hate Crimes

It seems symbolic that Alabama’s Department of Public Health announced last week that reporting on COVID-19 would switch from daily to weekly. The pandemic is still very much with us, but the tempo of reporting and digesting the many facets of religious responses to the crisis has slowed. Court cases wend their way through judicial systems, and many reflect on the implications of a “post-COVID normal” for worship and practice. A reflection event focused on resilience coordinated by the Organization of American States (OAS) Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs on August 4 involved Religions for Peace, Latin American governments, and religious institutions. Emerging research also offers more robust evidence of both the micro and macro impact of the COVID-19 emergencies and how the diverse religious dimensions have formed part of the larger picture. In turn, our own updates will become less regular (to recall we also shifted from daily to weekly some time ago), driven by the cadence of interesting and significant new information and insight.

A worrying report from Statistic Canada noted “a sharp rise in hate crimes targeting religion, sexual orientation and race since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.” According to the report, Canada has experienced “a 72% jump in its hate crime rate between 2019 and 2021…partly due to the pandemic, which exposed and exacerbated safety and discrimination issues. Chinese-Canadians reported increased discrimination due to Wuhan, China being the epicentre of the virus…In 2021, hate-motivated crimes targeting religion jumped 67%, those targeting sexual orientation climbed 64% and those targeting race or ethnicity rose 6%.”

An especially interesting report on research in Malawi explored reasons for hesitancy about COVID-19 protection among quite well-informed urban populations. The conclusions? COVID-19 lockdown measures were seen as a ploy by the then-ruling party to remain in power, and “religious beliefs and political environment undermine self-perceived risk of contracting COVID-19.” The study also discusses how “social factors, particularly religious and political beliefs, influenced COVID-19 risk perception. Specific religious beliefs pertaining to individuals recognizing signs of the ‘Christian apocalypse’ were particularly associated with lower risk perceptions.” 

The global biennial HIV/AIDS Conference in Montreal last week included discussion about the impact of the COVID-19 emergencies on HIV/AIDS programs as well as religious dimensions: “‘You have provided hope to millions of people living with HIV and HIV activists with the power of prayer and faith when we needed it the most,’ Vinay Saldanha, director of the U.S. liaison office for the Joint United Nations Program on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), told a pre-conference gathering of interfaith religious leaders July 27.” UNAIDS underscored how years of steady progress against the disease had struggled during the crisis provoked by COVID-19, mass displacement, and several international conflicts.

Additionally, a report from Sri Lanka about “miracle water” poured into rivers as a solution to HIV-AIDS was a reminder of the negative impact of misinformation. In this case, “A faith healer with VIP clients who claims supernatural powers has persuaded Sr Lanka’s Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi to try his miracle water to end the coronavirus pandemic. Eliyantha White, 47, got Wannirachhchi to smash a pot containing his special water into the Kalu Ganga to contain the spread of the Coronavirus, footage broadcast over the internet showed.”

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If you have news articles, guides, or other relevant resources you wish to share with us for review please email covid19.faithresponse@gmail.com. We are particularly interested in learning more about groups facing acute vulnerabilities (refugees, elderly, those impacted by the digital divide, in fragile states, etc.). Please send us any information you see.
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