The second-largest mosque in Vadodara city in Godhra, Gujarat, Aadam Mosque on Sheikh Majaawar Road has compassionately opened its doors to help  COVID-19 positive patients of all religions and communities, providing health care with beds and free treatment where the ground floor has been converted to host 50 beds for the patients.

India has seen the highest spike in COVID-19 cases with 275,306 178,793 active cases and +1,625 deaths recorded yesterday.  Presently, there is a shortage the antiviral drug remdesivir, demand for oxygen and a lack of beds for patients.

The Mosque has also opened its doors in July 2020 transforming the Haj pilgrims’ rooms into a “hospital.”

In the midst of the COVID19 medical emergency, the mosque, the ground floor of the Aadam mosque, which was used to lodge female Haj pilgrims is presently converted to the COVID-19 care centre.

Godhra is a municipality in Panchmahal district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Panchmahal district.  It holds a painful history where a tragedy occurred on the morning of 27 February 2002, in which 59 Hindu pilgrims and karsevaks returning from Ayodhya, were killed in a fire inside the Sabarmati Express train near the Godhra railway station in the Indian state of Gujarat.

After an investigation, it was concluded that the fire was arson committed by a Muslim mob of 1,000 to 2,000 people.   A commission appointed by the central government, whose appointment was later held to be unconstitutional, stated that the fire had been an accident.

A court convicted a group of 31 Muslim individuals for the incident and the conspiracy for the crime. The conviction was later upheld by the Gujarat High Court. The causes of the fire have yet to be proven conclusively.

The event is widely perceived as the trigger for the Gujarat riots that followed, which resulted in widespread loss of life, destruction of property and homelessness. Estimates of casualties range from the official figures of 790 Muslims and 254 Hindus with a total of lives of over 2,000 people.

It is beautiful that out of a painful tragic incident, the very place of violence, death now sending out a message of peace and unity when the Godhra Mosque opens its doors to all people of all religions.

Also Read: Former PM Manmohan Singh writes to PM Modi, offers 5-point guide to tackle Covid-19

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