Belgian Mosques Begin Phased Reopening Following COVID-19 Closures

The Executive of Muslims of Belgium (EMB), the Coordination Council of Islamic Institutions of Belgium (CIB) and the Council of Theologians attached to the EMB are pleased to announce that the country’s mosques can reopen their doors to the public, in a progressive manner and with all the required caution, from June 8, 2020, according to a press release.

According to the Executive of Muslims of Belgium (EMB), this reopening date follows the decision of the National Security Council on June 3 regarding the gradual resumption of activities involving gatherings of people in places of worship in Belgium.

It also specifies that the gradual deconfinement instituted by the Belgian authorities does not mean that the coronavirus pandemic has been eradicated but that it has decreased in intensity. Therefore, the observance of certain precautionary and precautionary measures is required in these places of worship to avoid a resurgence. These include hand disinfection, social distancing, wearing a mask, etc.

This reopening of mosques and the gradual resumption of worship activities within them are conditional on compliance with the protocol established by the EMB, approved by the political and health authorities, and transmitted to the managers of all the mosques in the country to allow them to take the necessary measures.

As part of this first phase of deconfinement, mosques are also invited to respect a maximum number of one hundred worshippers per prayer instituted by the public authorities. In addition, a physical distance of 1.5 meters between the faithful must be respected. This measure is specifically aimed at reducing the reception capacity of mosques, particularly those of a more modest size. "We call on the faithful to be wise and understanding of this measure, which will sometimes result in entry restrictions once the reception capacity is reached," the EMB emphasizes.

As for the elderly and those in fragile health, special arrangements are made to offer them spiritual support and accompaniment, in particular through video capsules recorded at the Great Mosque of Brussels (GMB) and disseminated on social networks by the EMB and the GMB.