How Do Arab and Moslem Countries and Communities Act in Dealing with the Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic?

The global spread of COVID-19 and the uncertainty of finding an immediate cure for such an invisible and ubiquitous pandemic have triggered many believers of the Islamic faith and their respective Arab and Moslem governments and religious institutions to act quickly to initiate hands-on efforts to deal with the crisis. They have grounded their work on several centuries of medical tradition and body-health wisdom emanating from the Quran and the Prophet Mohammad’s Peace upon Him sayings and deeds in respect to how to grapple with such unexpected human crises. This paper seeks to highlight the intertwining between traditional norms and religious belief on one hand, and modern-day practices and strategies for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic on the other. The focus is centered on Arab and Moslem countries. Although Islamic and Arab areas are considered among the most culturally and territorially cohesive places on earth, they have not necessarily pursued a unified strategy in confronting the pandemic. Furthermore, Moslem/Arab communities have extended far beyond the core Arab/Moslem localities. They have migrated over centuries to all continents, making their homes in new places, while still adhering to their ancestral traditions and faith in developing effective practices for confronting a health crisis like the viral pandemic.