FOUNDING DECLARATION
Toronto, ON, Canada
Sun March 22, 2020
The Canadian Muslim COVID-19 Task Force (CMCTF) comprised of medical experts, religious leaders and community organizations have held a series of meetings to discuss the unprecedented COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic and the implications for the health and lives of all Canadians, and in particular the Muslim community.
While each member of the task force will lead and be responsible for their own COVID-19 initiatives, the specific mandate of this task force is to create a platform for collaboration between medical, religious and community organizations across the country as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves. Members will update each other about their activities, share ideas, knowledge, experiences and resources, help identify gaps and community needs and promote a unified approach towards addressing the numerous challenges that lie ahead.
We commend the difficult decisions being made by our Prime Minister, Premiers and other officials. We appreciate the due diligence of our public health system and the sacrifices our heroic frontline healthcare workers are and will be making. Furthermore, we appreciate the extremely difficult decisions made by our Imams and community leaders who feel the burden of suspending congressional daily and Friday prayers.
We, the undersigned, are committed to the following principles:
1. The CMCTF is an intersectoral collaborative platform, not a separate organization, whereby members will work together with professionalism, mutual respect, unity and share knowledge, experiences and resources for the benefit of all Canadians.
2. The CMCTF and its members will promote and support the initiatives that are launched by each member through their online and social media channels, with the goal of reaching as many people as possible.
3. The CMCTF will collaborate with other international Muslim COVID-19 task forces including in the United States and the United Kingdom, in order to do the same.
4. All CMCTF members will, at the bare minimum, stay abreast with and abide by the recommendations and requirements set forth by local, provincial and federal public health agencies and legal bodies, with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic.
5. All CMCTF members will promote and embody all public health measures and interventions, including but not limited to regular handwashing, social distancing and infection control measures.
6. All CMCTF members will work hard to ensure their initiatives strongly consider diversity, equity and inclusion issues, especially with regard to vulnerable and high-risk groups.
7. All CMCTF members promise to help support each other, including mosques, Islamic centres, musallahs, schools and other charities and community organizations that are expected to face financial hardship in the weeks to months ahead.
During such difficult and uncertain times, we have faith in Allah (SWT)’s divine power and ask Him to grant us patience, to protect us and our families from any affliction or suffering, to show mercy to all of humanity, to forgive us for our sins and shortcomings, and to keep us united both during and following this calamity.