THE Imam of the Shah Jahan Mosque has added his voice to a local statement supporting the three COVID-19 vaccines as being halal.

“We understand the concerns around vaccinations in general and specifically the three COVID-19 vaccines. We are living in times when it is easy to spread false information,” says a statement from the Surrey Muslim Association.

“In a fast-paced situation, the level of scrutiny vaccines are facing at the present time is unprecedented. Both medical experts and Islamic scholars have researched the three vaccinations and declared they are halal. In light of the research of these expert scholars, we -- the Imam’s of Surrey and those represented at Surrey Muslim Association -- would like to reiterate that all vaccines for Covid-19 are halal (permissible).

“The British Islamic Medical Association have also shown confidence in the vaccines and are recommending taking vaccines.”

The statement follows a national campaign involving celebrities such as actors Adil Ray and Meera Syal, cricketer Moeen Ali and comedian Romesh Ranganathan, which aims to counter COVID-19 jab misinformation among ethnic groups.

They and others, such as the former Tory party chairman Sayeeda Warsi, appear in a video which addresses false information about the vaccines. The video points out that the scientists who developed the Pfizer vaccine are Muslim, Prof Uğur Şahin and his scientist wife, Özlem Türeci, from Turkey.