‘Nobody hiding in mosque, madarasa’

Kathmandu - An inspection committee formed by the National Muslim Commission has made on-site visits to various mosques and madarasa in both Purbi Nawalparashi and Paschim Nawalparashi districts and found that no one was hiding there.

The committee has been stepping up inspection after one of their religious leaders living in Udayapur district’s mosque was found infected with COVID-19. An eight-member inspection team coordinated by Bheshraj Kharel has been inspecting every mosques and madarasa in the district.

There are 55 mosques and 43 madarasa in Paschim Nawalparshi and five mosques and two madarasa in Purbi Nawalparashi.

Committee member Haidar Ali Momin told the National News Agency (RSS) that the committee started inspecting the mosque and madarasa after the rumours that many Indian Muslim religious leaders, infected with COVID-19, were hiding in various mosque and madarasa in Nepal.

The committee has found not a single such case while they visited those areas. “There was no one hiding in the mosque and schools,” said Momin, adding that the committee has been taking stock of the issues facing the Muslims during the ongoing lockdown.

As the holy month of Ramajan is ongoing for Muslims, a majority of the Muslims here were found reciting namaj at their houses, according to Momin, as gatherings were prohibited in all mosques due to lockdown ordered by the federal government to contain the outbreak of COVID-19.