BRANDIS, BACK TO YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

>> CONCERNS ABOUT THE

CORONAVIRUS HAVE LED MANY TO

CHANGE PLANS EVEN CANCEL

VACATIONS.

THIS INCLUDES LOCAL MUSLIMS WHO

WHETHER SUPPOSED TO GO TO SAUDI

ARABIA OVER SPRING BREAK.

AMANDA VINICKY HAS THAT STORY.

[♪♪♪]

>> IT'S THE MIDAFTERNOON PRAYER

AT THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY CENTER

IN MORTON GROVE WHERE A RITUAL

SIMILAR TO THIS HAPPENS FIVE

TIMES DAILY.

THOUSANDS OF WORSHIPERS MAY

ATTEND THE SPECIAL SERVICE EACH

FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

NO MATTER WHAT, THEY ARE ALWAYS

IN THE SAME DIRECTION FACING

MECCA.

>> THAT PRETTY MUCH THE

EPICENTER OF ALL ISLAM.

SO ANY MUSLIM REGARDLESS OF RACE

OR LANGUAGE OR BACKGROUND, THEY

ALWAYS FACE MECCA.

IT IS OF EXTREME IMPORTANCE AND

WHEN WE GO WE ARE GATHERING

TOGETHER REGARDLESS WHERE WE'RE

FORM WE'RE GATHERING TOGETHER TO

WORSHIP GOD.

>> EVERY MUSLIM IS EXPECTED TO

VISIT MECCA ONE IN THEIR

LIFETIME IN THE HAJJ.

IBRAHIM KHADER WAS PLANNING TO

LEAD A GROUP ON A SKILLED BACK

PILGRIMAGE LATER THIS MONTH.

>> PART OF THE IDEA IS TO

ESTABLISH A CONNECTION WITH THE

HOLY LAND.

TO UNDERSTAND THE LEGACY THAT IS

LEFT BEHIND AND THE HISTORY.

A LOT OF PEOPLE GROW UP MUSLIM

AND THEY ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH

THE NITTY-GRITTY DETAILS.

>> THE SIGNIFICANCE FOR MUSLIMS

IS THAT WE BELIEVE THIS IS AN

INVITATION FOR ALA, FROM GOD.

SO WHEN YOU ARE THE OPPORTUNITY

ARISES TO GO YOU START LOOKING

AT IT THROUGH A SPIRITUAL LENS.

>> IF THINGS HAD GONE AS

PLANNED, ARJUMAND KHAN WOULD BE

IN SAUDI ARABIA WITH HER FAMILY

RIGHT NOW.

>> MY BROTHER PLANNED THIS FOR

MY PARENTS AND WHEN MY SISTER

AND I FOUND OUT WE WANT TO GET

ON THIS, TOO.

WE WERE GOING TO TAKE MY PARENTS

WHO HAVE NOT BEEN THERE FOR 30

YEARS.

IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A SPECIAL

TRIP.

>> INSTEAD ARJUMAND KHAN SPENT

THE DAY IN MORTON GROVE WITH THE

SPREAD OF THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS,

ASSAULT AND BATTERY ASSAULT ANDA

RESTRICTED TRAVEL.

>> WE DECIDED IT WOULD BE BEST

TO CANCEL AND GO AT A LATER TIME

WHEN WE KNEW OUR SAFETY WAS NOT

IN DANGER AS WELL AS BEING ABLE

TO PERFORM THE RITUAL.

>> Dr. BASEER QAZI'S FAMILY

HAD BEEN BOOKED TO GO THIS MONTH

BUT DECIDED TO SCRAP IT.

>> IT'S NOT IF WE COULD GO.

THE QUESTION IS SHOULD WE BE

GOING?

>> BASEER QAZI SAYS HIS TEENAGER

ASKED AUNTS AND UNCLES WHAT THEY

WANTED TO PRAY FOR.

>> I THINK SHE TOOK IT THE

HARDEST OUT OF ALL OF THE KIDS.

BUT I THINK BEING CONSCIENTIOUS

OF OTHERS IS PART OF OUR FAITH.

AND THAT, I THINK, IS IMPORTANT

AND THAT IS WHAT I TRY TO TEACH

THE KIDS WE ARE DOING THIS FOR

OTHERS.

BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO PROMOTE

THE SPREAD OF DISEASE.

>> FOR HIS FIVE AND

SEVEN-YEAR-OLD HE IS TEACHING

THEM THE RIGHT WAY TO WASH THEIR

HANDS LIKE A SURGEON WOULD.

>> OK I WILL WATCH I WANT YOU TO

DO THIS NOW THEY COMPETE.

THEY TAKE THEIR SOAP AND DOING

THIS.

YOU MISSED YOUR CREASES YOU

MISSED YOUR FINGER NAILS.

>> FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN LIKE WHAT

MIGHT HAPPEN WITH CORONAVIRUS

CAN CAUSE ANXIETY.

AND ON THOSE OCCASIONS PEOPLE OF

ANY AND ALL FAITHS OFTEN SEEK

GUIDANCE INCLUDING FROM THEIR

SPIRITUAL LEADERS LIKE THE

AMA'AM HERE.

>> IT'S HOW DO WE MAKE SENSE

OF THIS.

IT IS A TEST LIFE IS A TEST.

THINGS HAPPEN.

THERE'S UPS AND DOWNS.

HOW DO WE COME TO TERMS WITH

WHAT WE BELIEVE TO BE DESTINY?

>> THE WAY I LOOK AT IT IS GOD

IS THE BEST OF PLANNERS.

ALA INVITED US THE INVITATION

MIGHT BE DELAYED WE CAN GO AT A

LATER TIME WHEN IT'S SAFE AND WE

CAN ACTUALLY COMPLETE THIS

JOURNEY PROPERLY AND BE ABLE TO

GO TO ALL THE HOLY SITES.

>> THERE'S NO WAY TO KNOW WHAT

PATH THE CORONAVIRUS WILL TAKE.

AND THERE IS NO TELLING WHEN

SAUDI ARABIA WILL LIFT THE

TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS.

THERE'S SOME CONCERN IT WILL

CARRY OVER UNTIL THE END OF

JULY.

WHEN THE HAJJ IS SUPPOSED TO

TAKE PLACE.

>> MOST OF THOSE WOULD BE

TRAVELERS ARE STILL HOPING TO

GET TO MECCA JUST AT ANOTHER

TIME BUT NO SOLID PLANS.

EVERYONE I TALKED TO WAS ABLE TO

GET A REFUND BUT THE TRIPS CAN

GET REALLY EXPENSIVE.

ARJUMAND KHAN DURING THE HAJJ

THERE ARE AGENCIES THATTING

CHARGE $15,000 UP TO $50,000 A

PERSON.

>> WOW.

WE SAW SOME PEOPLE AT THE MOSQUE

WHAT RESTRICTIONS ARE NOT IN

PLACE?

>> ARJUMAND KHAN SAYS IT'S BEEN

SURREAL TO SEE THAT GRAND MOSQUE

IN SAUDI ARABIA THAT IS

TYPICALLY FULL OF WORSHIPERS BE

EMPTY NOW THAT GRAND MOSQUE IS

PARTIALLY REOPENED BUT YOU SAW

THERE'S CIRCULAR BARRICADES THAT

CORDON OFF THE LARGE BLACK BRICK

STRUCTURE AND MUSLIMS WILL TRY

TO TOUCH OR KISS IT BUT DUE TO

CORONAVIRUS CONCERNS YOU HAVE

THE BARRICADES TOUCHING IT IS

OFF LIMITS.

ARJUMAND KHAN TOLD ME HER FAMILY

CANCELED THE TRIP TO SAUDI

ARABIA BECAUSE ALSO THE COUNTRY

BANNED TRAVEL FROM THE MOSQUE

AND THAT DEFEATED THE PURPOSE OF

THE TRIP.

>> IS THE MOSQUE MAKING CHANGES

DUE TO CORONAVIRUS?

>> NOTHING OUTSIDE WHAT WE HAVE

BEEN TALKING ABOUT SINCE

CORONAVIRUS BECAME A THING THAT

IS ENCOURAGING.

ANYBODY WHO DOES NOT FEEL WELL

SKIP SERVICES LOTS OF HAND

WASHING AND IT'S PART OF THE

PRAYER ANYWAY.

BUT ALSO I SAW WHILE I WAS

VISITING THERE CUSTODIANS

CLEANING THE MOSQUE.

RUGS ARE CLEANED DAILY BUT

INDIVIDUALS ARE WELCOME TO BRING

YOUR OWN RUG.

WE HAVE SEEN RELIGIOUS LEADERS

OF OTHER FAITHS MAKE SOME

CHANGES DUE TO CORONAVIRUS

CONCERNS.

I HAVE A FRIEND SHE IS GREEK

ORTHODOX AND SHE ATTENDED CHURCH

SERVICES ON SUNDAY.

AND THIS WAS POSTED.

THIS IS TYPICALLY A TIME WHEN

YOU WOULD TOUCH OR KISS ICONS

AND THEY WERE TOLD TO BOW

INSTEAD AND HER PRIEST HANDED

OUT THE BREAD FOR COMMUNION OUT

OF A LADLE.

AND THEN WE HAVE SEE THE

CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE ISSUING

PRECAUTIONS LIKE REQUIRING

PRIESTS, AND WASH THEIR HANDS

BEFORE AND HALF MASS AND REFRAIN

FROM TOUCHING ONE ANOTHER THE

SHAKING YOUR HAND DURING THE

SIGN OF THE PEACE AND NO HOLDING

HANDS DURING THE LORD'S PRAYER.

>> THANK YOU.

WE HAVE MORE CORONAVIRUS

COVERAGE ON-LINE INCLUDING A

STORY OF THE FOOD AND DRUG

ADMINISTRATION ISSUING WARNINGS