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Sayyed Osman, of Blackburn council, said the “whole community feels let down” by the gathering
A gathering of worshippers on a street to observe prayers during Eid was a “serious breach” of lockdown measures, a council has said.
Footage of the gathering shared online showed a group of men praying in Whalley Range, Blackburn on Sunday.
Blackburn with Darwen Council’s Sayyed Osman said “no permission” was given for such a gathering.
The council is working with Lancashire Police to “take action” against organisers, who have not commented.
A letter signed by Lancashire’s Assistant Chief Constable Peter Lawson and council leader Mohammed Khan, seen by BBC Asian Network, does say “special permission was given to perform the call to prayer” in the town.
But is stresses “restrictions on congregational prayers had not been lifted” and it was for individuals “to pray privately in their home”.
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Mr Osman said the council sees this as a “serious breach of the national lockdown”
It added: “Not on the street, not in congregation with an Imam leading the prayer, not with amplified microphones and not with road closures.”
Eid is celebrated at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan and Eid, the festival to celebrate its end, is traditionally marked with communal prayers in mosques and visits to friends and family.
But mosques are currently closed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Lancashire Council of Mosques (LCM) earlier issued guidance calling on all “Muslim households to continue to abide by the lockdown measures”.
The current government guidelines say public gatherings of more than two people from different households are prohibited.
Mr Osman, the council’s director of adult services, said the “whole community feels let down” by the gathering.
He said: “Road closures that we [weren’t] party to could have created a risk if there had been a fire or another emergency.
“No permission was given for any such gathering and we see this as a serious breach of the national lockdown.
“We are working with the police to take action against the individual who organised the gatherings.”
He stressed that it was “only a very small minority” who had chosen to congregate on the street.
A council spokesman said the authority had “worked with partners to set out how lockdown and social distancing restrictions would impact on congregational prayers”, adding similar stay at home advice was issued for other gatherings such as VE Day celebrations.
Lancashire Police has declined to discuss the gatherings.
The post Coronavirus: Blackburn Eid street prayers a ‘serious lockdown breach’ appeared first on indifact - All Trending news portal in one click.
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