‘More Afraid Of God’: Thousands of Muslim Pilgrims Ignore Coronavirus Warning To Gather In Indonesia

Ignoring the risk of coronavirus, thousands of Muslim pilgrims from across Asia gathered in Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous nation, on Wednesday (18 March) for an event organised by a Muslim evangelical group.

A similar event in Malaysia, held two weeks ago, led to more than 500 infections from coronavirus, reports Associated Press.

The organisers were asked to postpone the event but it was rejected. As per reports, over 8,000 people have already assembled in Gowa, near the provincial city of Makassar.

“We are more afraid of God,” one of the organisers, Mustari Bahranuddin, was quoted by Reuters as saying when asked about the risk of participating in the event.

One promotional material read, “The pleasure of living in this world is only a little, compared to the afterlife.”

Muslim pilgrims are coming from all over South East Asia and from the Middle East and the event has been organised by members of Tablighi Jama’at, a global evangelical movement for Muslims.

The event in Malaysia which saw the participation of over 16,000 followers is linked to about two-thirds of Malaysia’s 790 infections, as per authorities.

Additionally, Brunei has confirmed 50 infections linked to it, while Cambodia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam have also said citizens were infected there.