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Helpline: 0115 970 3332
Opening Times: Monday - Sunday, 9am - 4pm

Nottingham charity ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ has launched a COVID-19 Muslim Burial Helpline to provide Islamic Jurisprudence related advice to the public during the pandemic. The helpline will receive its first set of calls from Tuesday 31st March 2020 until the foreseeable future.

So far across the United Kingdom over 1200 people have tragically died and nearly 20,000 infected. The current government guidelines on funeral restrictions and processes have been vague, leaving faith-based funeral directors feeling confused on whether they are being balanced with their approach; abiding by Islamic law and rituals towards the deceased, following government guidelines as well as health and safety.

Advice provided will be related to the changes in burial methods and processes in line with National Burial Council guidelines. The Muslim Burial helpline number is 0115 970 3332, which will be open seven days a week from 9am to 4pm and will be operated by ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ staff and led by our in-house Mufti Muhammad Ismail.

Our other responses within the UK will focus on providing delivered meals twice a day, to the homeless, sick and the elderly in the Hounslow area of West London, through our Open Kitchen. We have also taken the lead in partnering with the people of Nottingham and other organisations as part of a thirty-six community based partnership to help those affected by the pandemic.

To get involved or find out more about ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ and the work we do visit our website muslimhands.org.uk or call 0115 9117222.

Noor Syed, COVID-19 Muslim Burial Support Lead, said:

‘We are living in unprecedented times and with uncertainty lingering as the pandemic rages on, supporting all areas of our communities is a must. The COVID-19 Burial Helpline has been set up to support any questions and queries regarding Islamic jurisprudence and any changes with regards to burial. We believe it is important to provide guidance and support where possible and we hope this helpline alleviates some of the difficulties people are facing’.

Notes to editors

• Established in 1993, ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ is an international aid agency and NGO dedicated to providing emergency relief and tackling the root causes of poverty around the world.
• ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ works in over 30 countries worldwide.
• ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ COVID-19 Burial Helpline is open seven-days a week from 9am-4pm launching on Tuesday 31st March 2020. For advice or further information call 0115 970 3332.
• The National Burial Council (NBC) is an organisation setup in 2018 to help meet the needs of the UK Muslim community in relation to Islamic burials and burial practice. To find out more visit nbc.org.uk
• World Health Organisation announces COVID-19 as officially a pandemic on 11th March 2020
• 182 countries and territories affected with over 720,000 infected worldwide and 33,000 people have died.
• Anyone requiring specific information or advice on Coronavirus should visit NHS England or NHS Inform {Scotland}.
• We rely on voluntary donations to continue our vital work. You can donate now by calling 0115 911 7222 or visiting muslimhands.org.uk

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