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