In solidarity with Muslims, Church hosts ‘Namaz’

Berlin: A church in Germany’s capital, Berlin hosted Friday prayers while complying with physical distancing guidelines. The move is hailed as “an amazing sign of solidarity”.

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In Germany places of worship reopened earlier this month, on the condition of maintaining a minimum distance from one another of 1.5 metres (five feet) to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. As the Dar Assalam mosque in Berlin’s Neukoelln district, could only accommodate 50 people at a time under the guidelines, the nearby Martha Lutheran church opened its doors for Muslims.

Mohamed Taha Sabry, the mosque’s imam noted that the pandemic has made them a community. Crises bring people get together, he said.

According to Al Jazeera, the church’s pastor, Monika Matthias, said she had felt moved by the Muslim call to prayer.

She even took part in the prayer and gave a speech in German. During prayer, she felt that both the communities have the same concerns.