Mujahid: Catch Covid-19 and put in bottle? I don't know whether to laugh or cry

CORONAVIRUS | Former Islamic religious affairs minister Mujahid Yusof Rawa has expressed frustration with certain quarters who exercise rituals in the name of Islam to contain Covid-19 by "keeping" the virus in a bottle.

"There are those who claim that they can catch Covid-19 and put it in a bottle.

"I don't know whether to cry or laugh. This is not about catching a jinn.

"Covid-19 is a virus that needs a vaccine through scientific means so that everyone can have (the cure).

"If the world is watching, we will become a laughing stock," he said in a clip posted on social media.

A video of a man performing a ritual on a "patient" has circulated on social media.

He is seen "pulling" the virus from the hands of the "patient" and putting it in what appears to be a jar while chanting.

Several men are seen observing the ritual in the same room.

Meanwhile, Mujahid also criticised Health Minister Dr Adham Baba for claiming that drinking warm water would prevent Covid-19 infection.

"This (statement) came from a person who is a minister.

"To me, this is very unfortunate when the world is laughing at us. Enough of this," he said.

During an interview on RTM’s Bicara Naratif programme on March 20, Adham said the virus behind the Covid-19 outbreak “doesn’t like high temperatures” and advocated drinking warm water as a means of prevention.

“This virus doesn’t like high temperatures.

“The virus will be eliminated and end up in the stomach. If it ends up in the stomach, there is acid and they will lose.

“The important thing is to eliminate the virus from the throat before it enters the lungs because it loves the lower respiratory tract,” Adham had said. - Mkini