Apendix

HJ:

Can Muslims use a grave held by another corpse? What are your thoughts of the re-use of graves after 75 years? Are there any precedents for Muslims burials where is a lack of space?

MO:

In an Islamic perspective, there is dispensation where you can bury one person at different depths in the same burial plot if there is a shortage of land, not many people know this. In Islam, you can bury at the same depth with the condition that the body is fully decomposed.

The government does not allow to bury at the same depth for a minimum of 75 years, that’s the law of the land. We, in the Ministry of Justice Burial and Cremation Advisory Group, have been fighting for the past 8 years to reduce that to 50 years. There is a strong incentive for us to do that, so the land is used quicker. There is a strong incentive for us to do that, so the land is used quicker.

We, in Gardens of Peace Cemetery, only allow for single interment burials and provide families one generation, which we equate to be roughly 50 years. After 50 years we will go back into the same grave. We currently dig at 6ft, we will dig from 4ft 6in and try to bury without touching the remains, even though it may have not decomposed. Our first burial was in November 2002, so we got until 2037 before we got to recycle any of the graves.

Alternatively, there is a gap between the two graves, and we could do it at 4ft6in there also. But that would be left for the next generation, whoever takes over, for them to decide on what is feasible for them to do so.

HJ:

What is the forward trend for cemeteries? As more cemeteries are becoming privatised

MO:

In certain places it becomes very dangerous they are even discussions of digging up roads in order to bury somebody. In the advisory group for the ministry of justice; we advise the government in this matter. But at the moment they got other priorities, they always come around and say, “well our priority is to look after the living and rather than looking after the dead”, the councils are saying the same thing creating a big problem.

HJ:

What is the forward trend for cemeteries? As more cemeteries are becoming privatised

MO:

The government has always pushed for cremations and alternative burials rather than going in for a normal burial. The only reason why we have been saved is because we are lobbying hard with the Jewish community for traditional burials. At the moment Orthodox Christians and Jews are also the other groups who does not permit cremation, they are fighting with us as well.

APENDIX

Interview with Mohammed Omar at 09/10/2020 3:30PM

HJ: Hasan Jamshed (Myself) MO: Mohammed Omar

HJ:

How should cemetery designs move forward in future? What kind of environment you would want to create for the visitor’s cemeteries?

MO:

In terms of architecture the way cemeteries should go forward, they should design to be more appealing, so when people go there, you feel calm. That is the reason the ambiance and landscape is important. It goes towards this concept of in Islam, we believe in respecting the environment, so we should advocate for natural burials. Natural burials are what we consider to be the type of burials that would align with the Islamic and Abrahamic teachings.

The shift as we move forward should be for Woodland burials, which is something Islam would strongly encourage. In Islam we believe in respecting every living being because it has been created to worship the almighty God, so that we believe that every tree, while its still alive, glorifies God.

HJ:

All these options seem time consuming, as far as I am aware, Muslims are supposed to be buried as soon as possible, normally within 24hrs if possible. That cannot be the case all the time due to different financial situations, if all of that is true then does these mean those individuals are not following their religion correctly?

MO:

All it says, nowhere in the Qur’an or the hadiths it says that you should be buried within 24hrs, all it says be buried as quickly as possible. So practically, as soon as possible.

I know the process can be quite long, you have to get the death certificate from the doctor, then the release form from the coroner’s office together with the death certificate from the council, it’s all quite a long-winded process.

Absolutely, so what rule would be for this country is that to do it as quickly as possible, weather its 24hr, 48hr, 72hr or whatever, as long as it’s done as quick as possible.

HJ:

You cannot research into this subject matter without running across Dr Julia Rugg, I understand you and her sit on the same board in the National Burial Society, what are your thoughts on her work?

MO:

Yes, Dr Julia Rugg and I sit on the same board, okay she’s good but her work is quite dated. All of her work that I have found tends to end around 2015. It’s very hard to fund her research because it’s a big project to try to tackle and her herself doesn’t want to do it anymore. Well I guess so; she has been doing work on this topic since the early 2000s. Yes, and she got other interest in the university of York. I also gave a lecture with her at the University of York on Muslim burials. All we do is provide people who are professionals with the guidance of what a Muslim requirement would be.