Religion and culture are essential elements of humanity, and it is through communication, that these elements of humanity are mediated. Whether exploring these terms in health, interpersonal, intercultural, intergroup, mass, or other communication contexts, it is evident that understanding the intersection(s) among religion, culture, and communication offers vast opportunities for researchers and practitioners.

1. Role of Religious
Communication during
Pandemic Covid-19
Presented by
Anshula Garg
PhD Scholar
Department of Communication Management & Technology
Guru Jambeshwar University of Science & Technology, Hisar, Haryana

2.  The COVID-19 pandemic has presented us with an
unprecedented global challenge, touching every
community in every nation of the world. The
pandemic is causing systems of work, education,
finance and domestic lives to grind to a halt, affecting
nearly every aspect of people’s lives.

3. Religion, Culture & Communication
 Religion and culture are essential elements of humanity, and it is through
communication, that these elements of humanity are mediated.
 Whether exploring these terms in health, interpersonal, intercultural, intergroup,
mass, or other communication contexts, it is evident that understanding the
intersection(s) among religion, culture, and communication offers vast
opportunities for researchers and practitioners.

4. Role of religious practices during
Pandemic
Negative aspect
 Religious tensions and conflicts
 Religious congregations
 Fake & Misinformation over social
media
Positive aspect
 Removal of anxiety
 Removal of stress
 Generating the feeling of peace and
rejoiceness among masses
 To overcome the stigma among
peoples

5. Cases of religious congregation worldwide
 The Head of the main shrine in Qom appealed to the pilgrims to keep coming to the shrine and called it a
place of healing. This apparently led to the unabated spread of the infection, not only within Iran, but around a
dozen neighboring countries (Wright, 2020)
 Three Tablighi Jamaat meetings in Malaysia, Pakistan, and India became COVID-19 hotspots.
 A Christian congregation in South Korea was the origin of a large number of COVID-19 cases. In the US, a
California megachurch of a Slavic congregation was an epicenter of the virus after public health
officials connected it with 71 cases.
 COVID-19 infection rates among the ultra-orthodox Jews of Israel were disproportionately high compared to
other Israelis.
 In the northwestern Indian state of Punjab, a 70 year-old Sikh priest, after returning from Italy and Germany,
refused to be self-quarantined. He went on to attend several religious meetings and even visited a Sikh festival
in another city that attracts 300,000 people every day. He succumbed to the COVID-19 infection, and many of
his close contacts tested positive later (Naib, 2020)
 About a thousand ISKCON devotees attended a funeral at its temple in Soho, London, on March 21, 2020.
Twenty-one of the attendees tested positive, at least five died, and several are reportedly critical. The United
Kingdom had not implemented a lockdown at that time (Tandon, 2020)
 In Malaysia, 513 people tested positive with COVID-19 after attending a religious gathering, pushing the
country to a lockdown.

6. Impact of social media
 Fake information got spread that resulted to infodemics
 Such misinformation created fear among some religious groups that resulted into
violent acts and crimes.
 During survey it is also observed that social media is the main cause of religious
tensions among masses.

7. Results of outbreak and measures
 This outbreak has resulted in the spread of stigmatizing and discriminatory actions
towards specific groups and communities. We must remember that the threat and
enemy is the virus, not the people or countries or their religions.--Tijjani
Muhammad BandePresident of the UN General Assembly
 During this time, we look up to them to share credible information and stand up
against rumours, violence, and the incitement of hate and advocate for the needs
of vulnerable populations.

8. Arousal of stigma due to pandemic
 MOHFW and other
health agencies felt
that this Pandemic
have also resulted in
some stigma too
among peoples.


9. Reasons and results of Stigma

10. Some examples of religious cohesion
 During the pandemic, religions have also played important roles to control the
spread of the coronavirus and religious cohesion were observed
 E.g. : The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has decided to open 10
burial grounds on the outskirts of Bengaluru city to give patients who have died of
Covid-19 an honorable final farewell, which depicts that religion will be no bar in
such pandemic situation.
 The Print has learnt that these 10 new burial grounds will come up on 23 acres of
land across five locations. All religions and sects that bury their dead will be
allowed to use these grounds

11. Role of Scriptures and Religious Teachings
during the pandemic
 The Bible encourages followers to “show me your faith apart from your works, and I
will show you my faith by my works”.
 The Quran tells us: “If anyone saved a life it would be as if he saved the life of the
whole humanity.”
 In Judaism, the preservation of human life takes precedence over all other
commandments, as emphasized in the Talmud.
 Prophet Muhammad said: “If you hear of an outbreak of plague in a land, do not
enter it; and if the plague breaks out in a place while you are in it, do not leave that
place.”

12. Ways Religious and Traditional Actors can
apply to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in
their communities
 Communicate Timely Information
 Engage with Youth
 Promote unity and empathy in times of crisis
 Guide your community on safe religious practices
 Support Your Neighbour
 Continue to serve the community

13. Role religious leaders can play during
pandemic
 UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on 12 May, Saturday in a conference said that religious
leaders around the world can play an important role to deliver solutions in the fight against Covid-
19 pandemic and help people recover from effects of the illness.
 He also tweeted that to defeat Covid-19 and build a more sustainable and equitable world, we
need communities to come together. Religious leaders can play a pivotal role to deliver solutions to
not only address the pandemic but to recover better.
 Kerida McDonald, a senior adviser for communications for development at UNICEF quoted that
Faith leaders have key role in stopping spread of COVID-19 as faith-based rituals and practices
are an important piece of daily life in many places around the world, but ceremonies such as prayer
services and burials can be dangerous during the pandemic.
 In partnership with Religions for Peace, UNICEF developed guidance for faith leaders on how to
adapt religious rituals and practices to maintain as much normalcy as possible, while stopping large
gatherings from becoming super spreader events.
 Except these things Religions for Peace (RfP) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), are
joining forces to launch a global Multi-Religious Faith-in-Action Covid-19 Initiative to raise
awareness of the impacts of this pandemic on the world’s youngest citizens.

14. Role of religious leaders during this
pandemic
 Gurudwaras distributed the food to the needy persons in huge amount.
 On April 8, the chief of All India Imams Organisation, Umer Ahmad Ilyasi, appealed to Muslims
across India to observe Shab-e-Baraat within their homes and adhere strictly to the lockdown rules.
 To comply with the social distancing guidelines after the nationwide lockdown order end-March,
temples such as Sri Venkateswara in Tirumala, Jagannath in Puri, Somnath in Gujarat, Siddhivinayak
in Bombay, and numerous other shrines, mosques, synagogues and gurudwaras shut their doors.
 Reverend Biju Thampy of a local church in Goregaon in Mumbai, who held an online service
recently, said, “We believe the church is the people and not the building. At a time like this, it is our
number one responsibility to be responsible citizens.”
 Protestants and Catholics modified their Easter celebrations, the greatest Christian ritual, in April.
Most churches have resorted to virtual services to convey religious messages to their adherents
since then.
 During the fasting month of Ramadan, Muslims were also asked to pray at home, instead of
communal worship in the mosque or yard.

15. Worshippers wearing protective face masks offer Eid al-Fitr prayers in
Tehran, Iran, May 24, 2020 (AP photo by Ebrahim Noroozi).

16. Role of religious leaders during this
pandemic
 Pope Francis has urged Christians everywhere to unite in shared moments of prayer, adding:
“Let us remain united. Let us make our closeness felt toward those persons who are the most
lonely and tried.”
 Russell Moore, of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist
Convention, responding to ignoring the plight of the elderly in the pandemic, said in the New
York Times: “Each human life is more significant than a trillion-dollar gross national product.
Stocks and bonds are important, yes, but human beings are created in the image of God.”
 Religious leaders throughout Bangladesh – including in the Rohingya refugee camps – have
agreed to play a key role in the battle against the COVID-19 virus.
 Mosque megaphones are traditionally used by imams to call the faithful to prayer. But they
now serve an extra purpose: to disseminate key public health messages.
 In Taiwan, religious leaders are collaborating with the government’s epidemic command
centre to respond quickly to the health crisis and protect the people. Taiwan is lauded as a
leading example of a country with good COVID-19 management.

17. Pope Francis delivers a prayer in an empty St. Peter’s Square in the
Vatican, March 27, 2020 (AP photo by Alessandra Tarantino).

18. Role of religious leaders in overcoming the fear
and taking preventive measures during
pandemic
 To reduce the need for in-person gatherings, religious leaders are coming up with innovative and creative
options that have inspired their communities to accept and adapt to the new reality.
 Pew data released in March indicates that most Americans who attend religious services regularly
have transitioned to online observance. Some pastors now offer drive-through church services and host
fellowship meetings over Zoom, while some Christian communities offer virtual baptisms and even
weddings.
 To reduce the need for in-person gatherings, religious leaders are coming up with innovative, creative
options, inspiring their communities to adapt to the new reality.
 Above all, religious groups help people find meaning and maintain hope in the face of threats and
disrupted lives. When people are afraid and lonely, they seek comfort and explanations for their suffering,
as well as glimpses of hope. According to a recent Pew survey, a quarter of Americans say their faith has
become stronger because of the pandemic.
 Many surveys indicate that religious leaders are often among the most trusted categories of leaders.
 Although churches are indeed empty in Western Europe and church buildings even go on sale, 70% of the
population in North America identifies as Christian. Islam is growing rapidly in Russia. The latest global
research shows 84% of adults say religion is important.

19. Buddhist monks wear face shields and masks to
protect themselves from COVID-19 while
collecting alms in Bangkok, Thailand. Photo
by: Chalinee Thirasupa / Reuters

20. Various nations take over religious
communication during pandemic
 The government has acknowledged other religions: Protestant and Catholic
Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism.
 In Indonesia, it has shown religions can be used as realistic means to help combat
the spread of COVID-19.
 In Bangladesh, religions have responded to the health crisis by offering both
spiritual and material relief.
 The Vatican has changed its liturgies online and provided guidelines for new
prayers to deal with the pandemic.
 In India too laid down the stone and bhoomi pujan of Ram Mandir is seen as the
positive sign of this 2020 year, by the citizens of country in this bad of time
pandemic-covid-19.

21. In conclusion
Therefore it can be said that:
 Religious practices makes a person Energetic
 Positivity increases as well as negativity, anxiety and stress level decreases
 Some spiritual & religious ways such as – meditation, havans, yagyas, spiritual music and keertanas
helps us to fulfilled with positive energy.
 Religious activities makes a good effects on some essence of life such as -heart ,feelings, thoughts,
mind and soul
 As if human is happy and full of rejoiceness his immunity get boost own self.
 Peace and joy is its main outcome .
 Aroma and the waves generates from of the havans and ygya , chantting of bells, shankhas cleans
the environment.
 Religious and spiritual thoughts overcome us from competence of life.
 While getting data from various spiritual leaders it is observed that by following spiritual and
religious activities peace can be brought and all kind of conflicts can be removed if they have
teachings of true gurus and have true knowledge.
 During survey it is observed by me that such things like meditation and spiritualness helps to
protect us from corona.