British South Asians suffer heavy toll as coronavirus surges

Ethnic minority communities in the UK, hard-hit by the pandemic, have been forced to adapt how they say farewell.

Bradford, United Kingdom – In 2013, Jusna Begum performed ghusl, for the first time. Her sister Halima had died from cancer at 40, and in accordance with Muslim principles, she washed her sibling’s body one last time, with water, before laying her to rest. As the United Kingdom struggles to contain another devastating wave of the coronavirus, Begum, 46, along with a team of volunteers, has been working across East London to ensure the last rites of a mostly South Asian Muslim community are observed.