Thiruvananthapuram: Palayam Juma Masjid located in the heart of the Thiruvananthapuram city here has decided not to open the mosque to the public even though the government has allowed places of worship to reopen from June 8 onwards as part of the relaxation of COVID-19 lockdown guidelines.
Palayam Imam VP Suhaib Moulavi told ANI, “This decision was made as Thiruvananthapuram is a place where lots of travelers come and it will be difficult to control the crowd coming to the mosque for prayers. Particularly, for the Friday prayers, more than 2,000 people participate, and it will be difficult to control the crowd.”
He further said that the number of COVID-19 cases is increasing in the state, and it will be better if mosques in the city region observe caution. “Unlike in villages where everyone in the region knows one another, in the city, lots of strangers visit the mosque. If someone who comes to pray breaks home quarantine guidelines, it will be difficult to identify them. So we have decided not to open the Palayam Juma Masjid for the time being,” he added.
He welcomed the relaxation in lockdown announced by the centre and state governments for the places of worship but decided to be cautious in the given situation.
Religious places all over the country have been allowed to open from June 8.