Muslims to raise concerns over Iranaithivu burial with global bodies

4 March 2021 08:45 am - 13 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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A leading Muslim organisation in Sri Lanka will this week send an official letter of concern to the global Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the World Muslim Congress, seeking their intervention to urge the Sri Lankan government to allocate a decent land for the burial of Muslim COVID-19 victims.

The Daily Mirror learns that the Sri Lanka Islamic Centre, which is a member of the World Muslim Congress will raise serious concerns with the global bodies and will also send a letter to the World Muslim Congress office in Geneva urging for immediate intervention after the government announced that burials of the COVID-19 dead would take place on the Iranaithivu Island, in the Gulf of Mannar.

Senior Muslim officials said they were disappointed at the government’s decision to allocate the Iranaithivu Isle for the burials and instead urged the government to find a suitable land elsewhere in the country.

The Daily Mirror learns that two lands have been proposed by the Muslim community - the Kupiyawatta burial grounds in Colombo and a five acre land in Mannar, in the north which belongs to a local mosque in the area, where ground water level reports have been carried out by the Geologists from the Department of Geology from the University of Peradeniya.

When questioned, a senior geologist from the Geology Department of the Peradeniya University confirmed that ground water level reports had been carried out on both the lands and the proposed land in Mannar was found to have low water levels.

Senior Muslim officials said the proposed land in Mannar was ready to undertake burials of the COVID19 dead immediately and were concerned why these requests were ignored by the health authorities who were notified.

Meanwhile Minister of Water Supply, Vasudeva Nanayakkara told Daily Mirror that according to his knowledge, he was not aware of any feasibility report carried out on the Iranaithivu Island to bury COVID-19 dead but said he had proposed two more lands, one in the North and another in the East which had low water levels and was suitable to bury the COVID19 dead. He said he had handed over these recommendations to the expert committee for them to decide.(JAMILA HUSAIN)

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Comments - 13

ANTON Thursday, 04 March 2021 08:50 AM

NOW THEY WILL GO AND COMPLAIN TO DEAD HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISION.

Ranaweera Thursday, 04 March 2021 08:51 AM

This is outrageous. Going to global bodies to complain about the burial location. These guys will want everything from global bodies now. Let them go. Sri Lanka should do what is best for the given situation.

Sokrates Thursday, 04 March 2021 09:18 AM

Best to dig graves in the Well of Parliament.

Sri Lankan Thursday, 04 March 2021 09:56 AM

Hambantota too has low water levels.

Shihan Thursday, 04 March 2021 12:47 PM

Muslims should not go crying to other countries like this .. yes there’s injustice but they are alienating themselves from fellow Sri Lankan’s

Joshua Thursday, 04 March 2021 01:20 PM

Please do it....nothing happens in SL.

Senaka Thursday, 04 March 2021 01:28 PM

Send the bodies to Akurana Syriya of hill country

Mohamed Thursday, 04 March 2021 03:02 PM

This is counter productive to muslims.Their shops

Ben Thursday, 04 March 2021 03:14 PM

If government stand firm on expert report, this not happened, non of them voted Gota or SLPP in elections, I doubt Subree too

Mohamed Ghouse Thursday, 04 March 2021 05:59 PM

Kupiyawatte where there is a burial ground is considered as one of the highest place in Colombo as it was once upon a time a hilly region. Mount Mary in the vicinity is called Mount as those areas were hilly terrain in the past before they were developed. We would appreciate if the authorities study this location and bring this dispute to a amicable end

Mohamed Irfan Thursday, 04 March 2021 06:49 PM

Come-on people you wanted burial you got one, stop bitching and get on with life, look after the living, Seriously.......

Wandering Dervish Thursday, 04 March 2021 06:50 PM

The comments are a reflection of the true nature of Sri Lanka, no surprise there is no positive growth and we are stuck in the Stone Age, no wonder we had a civil war. The reality is every human is the same regardless of faith, colour, cast or creed. We all live and we die... just live with love and acceptance

Anthony Thursday, 04 March 2021 09:26 PM

Get that Batwoman from the useless UNHCR to find a place preferably in Europe to Bury these cadavers which will only become dust in a given period of time and nothing else.

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Muslims to raise concerns over Iranaithivu burial with global bodies

Comments - 13

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