Ebola: The Muslim Disease

By Douglas V. Gibbs

Ebola, and its ease of infection in West Africa, is less about the disease itself, and more about the local cultures and practices that are a part of Islamic Tradition.  The Islamic Burial Ritual is especially among the culprits contributing to the ease of the spread of Ebola throughout Africa.  Upon death, rather than being handled by experts with modern equipment, and safety protocols, the dead in Islam are handled by the family, washed from head to toe.

The cleaning includes family members pressing down on the abdomen to excrete fluids still in the body, a collective duty for those involved, where all are expected to participate to ensure the deceased has been left pure, so that the faithful’s ascension into Paradise is not jeopardized (unless he died in jihad).

Before the body is buried, Muslims attending the funeral typically pass a common bowl for use in ablution or washing of the face, feet and hands, compounding the risk of infection.

These customs are prescribed by Shariah law.

Ebola victims can be more contagious dead than alive. Their bodies are covered in rashes, blood and other fluids containing the virus, and the family literally covers themselves with the virus during the burial ritual.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

Islamic Burial Rituals Blamed for Rapid Spread of Ebola - Pamela Geller