Coronavirus pandemic: ISIS terrorists put faith in God to save them from pandemic
Islamic State (ISIS) has issued a guideline for terrorists on how to tackle the deadly novel coronavirus outbreak, which includes a list of "religious directives" on combating infectious diseases. The guideline to fight coronavirus appeared in the latest issue of ISIS newspaper al-Naba, reports state.
The terror group's list includes measures like "staying away from sick people," "washing your hands before eating," and "avoiding travel to affected areas." The directives appear similar to the ones being issued by governments across the world. However, ISIS' measures also include decrees like "putting your faith in God and seek refuge in him." The group also told its members that "illnesses do not strike by themselves but by the command and decree of God."
Although ISIS has lost nearly all of its so-called caliphate in the Middle East, the terror group continues to hold pockets of territory across Iraq and Syria. Iraq has reportedly at least 79 cases of the novel coronavirus so far with eight confirmed deaths. The death rate of 10 percent in the country suggests that the actual number of infections is higher than what has been reported, according to the Daily Mail.
While Syria, till now, has not reported any cases of the coronavirus, it is highly likely that cases there have gone undetected. The government only controls certain parts of the country and the healthcare system is in ruins after years of civil war in the region. Iran is the worst-hit country in the Middle East with nearly 10,000 cases of Covid-19 and hundreds of confirmed deaths.
Observers, however, believe that the exact toll in Iran is much higher than what has been reported. Satellite images from the center of the outbreak in the country, Qom, showed mass graves being dug in the region to bury victims' bodies.
ISIS also holds its territory in West Africa, including in Burkina Faso, which has also reported a small number of coronavirus cases. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Israel, Egypt, Oman, and Kuwait have all reported cases of the deadly virus.
Covid-19 has led to deaths of over 4,700 people across the world with the virus infecting over 125,000 people.