Qatar’s Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs in cooperation with the National Health Authority conducted a seminar on bird flu on Monday for religious clerics, reports the Bahraini daily The Peninsula.
Two doctors with expertise in avian flu gave lectures at a meeting, attended by members of the Muslim clergy who lead Friday prayers. The imams will now focus on raising social awareness about bird flu in their sermons.
The imams were familiarized with the symptoms of the virus and how to fight its possible outbreak. They were told of the general misconceptions people have about the disease, which have led them to avoid eating eggs and chicken.
In addition, a hotline has been set up to enable imams to seek clarifications in order to prepare themselves fully to deliver sermons beginning this Friday.
“They can reach all sections of society and the fact that they are respected makes the impact of their lectures much more than anybody else,” one of the organizers of the seminar said.