Imam broadcasts Covid vaccination to encourage others to get it when offered
By Toby Porter
A leading Muslim charity founder has gone public to boost the take-up of vaccines in the fight against the pandemic.
Imam Qasim, the chairman of Al-Khair Foundation (AKF), in Croydon, was filmed having the swift and painless jab on IQRA TV, which is televised around the world.
Imam Qasim wants to encourage everyone, especially BAME communities, to come forward and get their vaccine, by providing them with accurate and reliable information to allow everyone to make an informed choice.
“It is an honour and a privilege to have been offered my vaccine and it has been amazing to see how quickly the vaccine roll out has happened,” said Imam Qasim, who has helped build AKF into a leading global organisation delivering humanitarian aid abroad and running empowering community projects across the UK.
“By sharing my vaccine experience, I hope to encourage others from my faith to book in for their vaccine when they are offered it.
“The quickest way we can all return to some sort of normality is if everybody has the vaccine, so I hope this helps to reassure anyone who is uncertain about having their vaccine.”
Samantha Lade, centre lead for Fairfield Halls said “Getting vaccinated gives us and our loved ones the best protection against this awful virus.
“These vaccines are safe and effective and it is an honour to be able to protect our patients and help local people get through this pandemic. We are so pleased to be able to help raise awareness of how easy it is to get your vaccine when it’s your turn.”
Recent data from NHS shows that vaccine hesitancy was at 72 per cent among Black communities, 42 per cent in Pakistani/Bangladeshi groups, 32 per cent for mixed ethnic populations compared to 15 per cent among white people.
Reports that the Covid-19 vaccine contains animal products making it unsuitable for Muslims have been exposed as fake and faith leaders are uniting to dispel uncertainty and encourage vaccination.
Places of worship have been turned into temporary clinics to instil confidence in the vaccination and Imam Qasim’s broadcast will boost the cause by reaching millions of people in the UK.
Around the world AKF has been instrumental in supporting communities throughout the pandemic with teams across the UK and from its seven community branches helping the vulnerable and isolated.
The charity has supported food banks, providing shelter to the homeless, donated laptops to families who could not access online learning and ferried vital supplies and medications to people in self-isolation while also operating a befriending telephone service to support the lonely.
AKF also tackles education, women’s empowerment and domestic violence, and over the last decade has delivered £195 million humanitarian aid to disaster-hit and war-torn areas.