April 24th, 2020
Ya Ali Madad. I hope you are all well and in good health!
I would like to read you the message that Mawlana Hazar Imam blessed the global Jamat with today.
We are blessed to have the constant guidance and blessings of Mawlana Hazar Imam. Our Jamat in our jurisdiction, Portugal, Spain and Angola, has not been much affected by the pandemic so far, Thank God, and let us pray that it will continue in the coming weeks and months. For that we have to comply with what is asked to us and what Mawlana Hazar Imam refers to in his message - physical distancing and personal hygiene habits, namely hand washing, will remain very important for a long time to keep the disease away from us.
In this message I want to acknowledge the volunteers - they have been doing an exceptional work on several fronts, either supporting the most vulnerable Jamat directly, or working to bring information to the Jamat at this stage, or keeping up our spirit of Community and solidarity among all. Thank you very much for your commitment and dedication.
I would also like to thank the donors of material resources - your support is fundamental to continue to support the Jamat - we have Jamati members who are very affected by the current situation and without your support it would not be possible to provide the assistance we have been providing. The financial situation is likely to deteriorate in the coming months and therefore the financial support of those with the most possibilities is very important. I leave a deep thank you to those who have already supported and an appeal to those who have not yet done so. Our My Contribution Campaign remains active and you can contact members of our Central Fund Raising team or the National Council secretariat.
This voluntary work or the donation of material resources goes in the direction of what Mawlana Hazar Imam mentioned in his message of March 29, when he said "...in these moments it is important that the Jamat remains united and focused on helping those who will need assistance and hand-holding.". To all those who have donated material resources and to those who have provided their service, I pray that Mawlana Hazar Imam will reward them multiple times.
I would also like to thank our Jamat's health professionals, many of them young, who are at the forefront of the fight against the pandemic and who fill us with pride in their work and dedication.
Many of you have been asking about the reopening of the Jamatkhanas... it is normal for you to ask, given the importance of Jamatkhana in our daily lives. It is, however, too early for us to talk about it. We are still in a state of emergency in all countries of jurisdiction and we have to wait for what the governments will decide about the reopening of the spaces and the gathering of people and about what action to take. To keep the Jamat safe and always in compliance with government guidelines we may have to wait a little longer for that reopening. We will keep the Jamat informed as we learn more. Until then, I hope you can continue to follow the institutional programs and messages, watch The Ismaili TV and maintain the practice of the faith regularly.
Finally, I would like to ask you to continue, in the coming weeks, to take all the safety precautions we have talked about, even after the possible lifting of the state of emergency. It will be quite a while before we return to normality, so it is very important that we continue to be very careful, especially the elderly and chronically ill.
Regarding the economica area, which concerns us all, make the effort to stay as informed as possible and prepared for when we return to normality, even if gradually. Take the opportunity to reflect on your careers and companies and make strategic, long-term decisions based on the information that has been conveyed. Reality will change and we must adapt and take advantage of the opportunities that open up.
Keep the faith, tolerance and positive spirit. United as a Jamat, as a country, we will overcome this challenge more, with strength, faith and optimism. The institutions will remain present and ready to help in whatever way you need.
Let us pray for the good health and well-being of all Jamat and all humanity and also for Mushkil Assan.
Let us be inspired by Ramadan now beginning to be grateful for all we have, to be generous and to be a true Brotherhood.
Ameen.
Ya Ali Madad and see you soon.
