Room 3: Faith
Connections to faith and spiritual practice have been adapted during the pandemic. Many people have found creative ways to overcome forced separation from their congregations under lockdown. Children have made mosques from cardboard boxes, and others have found solace in singing and praying together digitally, finding strength in each other and renewing their spiritual lives.
01: A Syrian refugee family describes their experience of Eid during lockdown.
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“Eid celebration is the most important celebration for many Muslims. It is a time where we all get together and celebrate. As a refugee this is also a particularly sad occasion because it means that I can't celebrate it with my family. For the past few years I didn’t celebrate it because I was away and separated from my family because of the war in my country. In the UK I used to go to mosques on the Eid day and join others praying and celebrating. This year none of that happened. I had to stay at home and couldn’t take my kids to the Eid festivities. I decided to make a small decoration at home for my children. Also, on the day of Eid, we had an Iraqi family that live close by come and drop us a few presents. That was so nice and my kids were very happy with it. This little present on the Eid day has made a huge difference for me and it certainly felt that this was a special day despite the lockdown.”
02: During Ramadan under lockdown a brother and sister in Wales were unable to visit the mosque, so made their own at home out of cardboard boxes.
03: A Nigerian refugee praises the Lord through gospel song.
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“Ramadan is a very special time for me and my family. Each year we wait patiently for this holy and blessed month to come. It is a time where we all come together and celebrate what we have and appreciate Allah’s blessings. It is a time where we contemplate and think about the people who are struggling in their lives. This year Ramadan is very hard on us. We are separated from our loved ones, we are separated from our community. We can’t break our fast collectively, we can’t go to the mosque to pray and thank our creator. We can’t go out and help the needy and hungry in our community. I decided to create some decorations at home with with my little kids so they learn about the significance and importance of this month and its values. May Allah grant us all patience and may this test come to an end soon.”
04: A Syrian refugee family describes their experience of Eid during lockdown.
05: A single mother and refugee usually attends church each week, but now attends online sessions while her son plays piano.
06: A digital Eid card by Natasha Ahmed.
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“Many people turned to religion during lockdown, whether by praying or reflecting on the kind of existential questions addressed differently in different religions.”
07: The Holy Trinity, by Mansoureh (Mahsah) Koohnab, who fled Iran due to religious persecution.
08: A young man who is a failed asylum seeker films in a Berlin mosque under lockdown and explains the changes that have happened under lockdown.
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“The situation here in the camp is beyond appalling. We’ve been kept in this encampment for several weeks now. We can’t go outside of the camp. There are lots of difficult things happening here. One way that I keep sane in the midst of this situation is through prayer and reading from the holy book everyday.”
09: Reading The Quran in Krnjaca Asylum Centre in April/May 2020.
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