Members of the Muslim community in Medway are taking to the streets to support the elderly who are self isolating in the wake of coronavirus.

People who attend the Nasir Mosque on Richmond Road, Gillingham, are posting leaflets with their contact information so people avoiding face to face communication can ask for help.

Safeer Khan, Imam of the mosque, is working with ten other people from the community to deliver the leaflets to elderly people's homes.

He said: "If they need anything, then our younger members who are fit and healthy will get those things for them so they don't have to be in a difficult position of risk."

"We love our neighbours and we want to reach out to them, so we can help those people who can't leave their house right now."

Mr Khan added: "At the end of the day, regardless of what we believe in and what is our background, we can always helps each other as human beings.

"In this difficult time where we're all fighting the same invisible enemy, we can all work together and come together."

Although community events at the mosque have been cancelled, people are still able to attend for prayers if they want to.

Mr Khan said: "We're encouraging people not to come if they have vulnerable people in their house.

"We're praying for people who are infected and have sadly died, and praying we can get over this challenge as quickly as possible."

As well as purchasing shopping for those in isolation, Mr Khan said it is just as important offering an olive branch to those who are feeling lonely during this time.

He said: "People are frightened - they might not need food or items, but they might just want someone to reassure them and talk to them.

"We want to reassure people that everything will be fine."

"In this difficult time where we're all fighting the same invisible enemy, we can all work together and come together..."

Last year, Mr Khan joined other faith leaders from across Medway to take part in a special inter faith podcast, which focused on ways faith communities with differing views could come together for a common good.

Mr Khan was joined by Saju Muthalay, Vicar of St. Marks Church in Gillingham, and Dalia Halpern-Matthews who represented Chatham Memorial Synagogue.

Mrs Halpern-Matthews described the help offered by the Muslim community after the Memorial Synagogue was attacked with damage to gravestones and excrement smeared on the door.

She said: "We had three different Muslim communities here in Medway who reached out to us, and Safeer's community even went so far as to ask, 'if you need some physical help in the cemetery,' you know.

"It was just an extraordinary thing."

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