In the latest issue of its al-Naba newsletter, Islamic
State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) instructed healthy members “not to enter the
land of the epidemic,” as the coronavirus pandemic grows globally.
There are more than 200,000 confirmed cases worldwide of the new
coronavirus, known as COVID-19, and governments around the globe are taking
drastic measures to curb the outbreak as it spirals into a humanitarian crisis.
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday called the virus
an “enemy against humanity,” urging global collective action against it.
The U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement
Network (FinCEN) on Monday told banks to remain on alert for virus-related
illicit financial activity. Interpol issued a warning last week about financial
fraud linked to the crisis.
Terror groups are also figuring out how to guide their members
and address the disease as the number of cases grow. An infographic from ISIS
commanded followers to trust in Allah and “seek refuge in him from diseases,”
and to “cover one’s mouth when yawning and sneezing.”
Besides ISIS, Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) also cited WHO guidance
in its March 2020 Ebaa newsletter on how to safeguard against the disease. HTS,
a Syria-based group linked to al-Qaida, was sanctioned in May 2018 and has
raised money to hold its territory in the country’s northwest against a
government-backed assault, Kharon previously reported.
Though the Syrian government said there were no confirmed cases
of the virus in Syria as of Monday, Ebaa News reported that Iranian militias
fighting on behalf of the Syrian government brought the virus with them, citing
“local sources in the city of Deir Al-Zour.” Seven members of the Iranian
militias have died due to the virus, and 40 others were infected, HTS said,
although these figures could not be independently confirmed.
Iran is dealing with one of the world’s deadliest outbreaks from
the virus: As of Wednesday, the country had reported more than 17,000 cases and
at least 1,100 deaths, according to ABC News.
Syrian companies are reacting as well: Cham Wings Airlines,
sanctioned in 2016 for its support of the government, announced the suspension
of its flights to Iraq, Lebanon, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Iran,
based on precautionary measures.
Damascus-area officials have shut down much of the city’s social
life, including nightclubs, sports venues and internet cafes.
Hizballah froze all visits to Iran and imposed a quarantine in
Syria on a group of students who were returning to Lebanon via Damascus airport,
according to a report. The Lebanese organization has monitored the situation in
Iran since the start of the crisis, another report said.
Beyond Syria, the Taliban in Afghanistan said this week it would
work with healthcare workers instead of killing them, as they’ve been accused
of doing in the past, according to a Reuters report. Afghanistan has 22
confirmed cases of the virus, and there are growing concerns about Afghans
crossing the border with Iran, the Reuters report said.
The virus was “perhaps sent by Allah because of the disobedience
and sins of mankind or other reasons,” the Taliban said in a statement
published Wednesday.
On Saturday, Hamas said that the Gaza Strip was virus-free, but
that it would continue to enact measures to try to prevent the virus from
infecting the area.
The Palestinian group restricted obligatory prayer in the
mosque, encouraging people to perform prayers at home, and it has closed
women’s prayer rooms. Gazan authorities said they will be closing Gaza’s border
crossings with Israel and Egypt, according to media reports. There have been 33
suspected cases, all of which tested negative, the Gaza Health Ministry said.
Source: St. Lucia news
– 20 March 2020
By: Kharon Brief
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