Sri Lanka ends forced cremations, allows burials of Muslims

[The Eagle]

Sri Lanka ends forced cremations, allows burials of Muslims

• 57 MINUTES AGO

The government first banned burials of those who died from Covid-19 in April over concerns — which experts said were baseless — by influential Buddhist monks that the practice could contaminate groundwater and spread the virus.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, center, stands with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, right, after his arrival in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021. (AP)

Sri Lanka has ended forced cremations of people who have died of coronavirus, after visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan urged Colombo to respect the funeral rites of the island's minority Muslims.
The policy was decried by members of the South Asian nation's Muslim community who constitute 10 percent of the 21 million population.

While health minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi did not give a reason in her announcement reversing the ban, official sources said Khan had raised the subject with both President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa during his trip earlier this week.

Dozens of demonstrators had used Khan's visit as an opportunity to call attention to the Sri Lankan government's disregard for Islamic burial customs and carried a mock coffin.


In response to the policy change, Khan thanked his Sri Lankan counterparts.
"I... welcome the Sri Lankan govt's official notification allowing the burial option for those dying of Covid 19," he said on Twitter.

The 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation had also raised the forced cremation policy at the United Nations in Geneva this week.

Traditionally, Muslims bury their dead facing Mecca. Sri Lanka's majority Buddhists, who are strong backers of the current government, are typically cremated, as are Hindus.

In December, authorities ordered the cremation of at least 19 Muslim Covid-19 victims, including a baby, after their families refused to claim the bodies from a hospital morgue.

Muslim community leaders say more than half the country's 459 Covid-19 victims were from the Muslim minority.
They attribute the disproportionate number of fatalities to a fear of seeking treatment, and in particular, to the fear of being cremated should they die of the disease.

Sri Lanka ends forced cremations, allows burials of Muslims

The government first banned burials of those who died from Covid-19 in April over concerns — which experts said were baseless — by influential Buddhist monks that the practice could contaminate groundwater and spread the virus.

www.trtworld.com

 

[Amaa'n]

Sri Lanka ends forced cremations, allows burials of Muslims

• 57 MINUTES AGO

The government first banned burials of those who died from Covid-19 in April over concerns — which experts said were baseless — by influential Buddhist monks that the practice could contaminate groundwater and spread the virus.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, center, stands with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, right, after his arrival in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021. (AP)

Sri Lanka has ended forced cremations of people who have died of coronavirus, after visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan urged Colombo to respect the funeral rites of the island's minority Muslims.
The policy was decried by members of the South Asian nation's Muslim community who constitute 10 percent of the 21 million population.

While health minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi did not give a reason in her announcement reversing the ban, official sources said Khan had raised the subject with both President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa during his trip earlier this week.

Dozens of demonstrators had used Khan's visit as an opportunity to call attention to the Sri Lankan government's disregard for Islamic burial customs and carried a mock coffin.


In response to the policy change, Khan thanked his Sri Lankan counterparts.
"I... welcome the Sri Lankan govt's official notification allowing the burial option for those dying of Covid 19," he said on Twitter.

The 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation had also raised the forced cremation policy at the United Nations in Geneva this week.

Traditionally, Muslims bury their dead facing Mecca. Sri Lanka's majority Buddhists, who are strong backers of the current government, are typically cremated, as are Hindus.

In December, authorities ordered the cremation of at least 19 Muslim Covid-19 victims, including a baby, after their families refused to claim the bodies from a hospital morgue.

Muslim community leaders say more than half the country's 459 Covid-19 victims were from the Muslim minority.
They attribute the disproportionate number of fatalities to a fear of seeking treatment, and in particular, to the fear of being cremated should they die of the disease.

Sri Lanka ends forced cremations, allows burials of Muslims

The government first banned burials of those who died from Covid-19 in April over concerns — which experts said were baseless — by influential Buddhist monks that the practice could contaminate groundwater and spread the virus.

www.trtworld.com

Indians along with few pakistanis ran propaganda as soon as PM's speech was cancelled in SL parliament. They cited the reason that SL speaker feared that IK will raise the issue of Muslims hence they cancelled his address...a known propaganda account on Twitter joined the parade & bashed the Govt that this Umma churan is not going to work....I tried finding his tweets but turns out he removed his tweets out of fear as he got shit faced just like the indians

 

[The Eagle]

Indians along with few pakistanis ran propaganda as soon as PM's speech was cancelled in SL parliament. They cited the reason that SL speaker feared that IK will raise the issue of Muslims hence they cancelled his address...a known propaganda account on Twitter joined the parade & bashed the Govt that this Umma churan is not going to work....I tried finding his tweets but turns out he removed his tweets out of fear as he got shit faced just like the indians

Those Pakistanis are harming from inside out merely because of their political differences and such hate is damaging us widely. Unfortunately.

 

[Chhatrapati]

Cremation is okay when it's some highly dangerous diseases like Nipah when we had the outbreak, victims including Muslims were cremated. Also, at the beginning of the Corona many Muslim victims were unfortunately cremated but things changed and more details came in about the disease so, what was the point in cremating even now?

 

[PakistaniAtBahrain]

Cremation is okay when it's some highly dangerous diseases like Nipah when we had the outbreak, victims including Muslims were cremated. Also, at the beginning of the Corona many Muslim victims were unfortunately cremated but things changed and more details came in about the disease so, what was the point in cremating even now?

all faiths should be respected. cremation should never be state policy regardless of what disease outbreak it is or how bad the outbreak is. india and sri lanka only do this because they dont respect islam. you dont see Pakistan outlawing aspects of hinduism.

 

[Khan vilatey]

Regional Supa Pawa Pakistan give a 50 million US$ line of credit to Sri Lanka to buy arms for use to keep India in check

K

Pakistan offers $50m credit line to Sri Lanka for defence ties

Two sides call for stronger partnership in matters related to security, terrorism, organised crime and drug trafficking.

www.google.com

 

[Chhatrapati]

cremation should never be state policy regardless of what disease outbreak it is or how bad the outbreak is.

Not when there are life-threatening diseases come up as epidemic. What matters is let people understand the seriousness of the issue. Besides in less than 100 years, you will turn into fertilizer and is used up by plants around the grave.

 

[Goritoes]

Indians along with few pakistanis ran propaganda as soon as PM's speech was cancelled in SL parliament. They cited the reason that SL speaker feared that IK will raise the issue of Muslims hence they cancelled his address...a known propaganda account on Twitter joined the parade & bashed the Govt that this Umma churan is not going to work....I tried finding his tweets but turns out he removed his tweets out of fear as he got shit faced just like the indians

The enemy within is far more dangerous to Pakistan than Indians, or Yahood-o-Nasara...

 

[PakistaniAtBahrain]

Not when there are life-threatening diseases come up as epidemic. What matters is let people understand the seriousness of the issue. Besides in less than 100 years, you will turn into fertilizer and is used up by plants around the grave.

nope, religious rights should never be ignored. i am more than happy to become a fertilizer for plants. i followed my religion till the end and even helped out plants with my death. its better than becoming ash and dropped into a river.

 

[Chhatrapati]

nope, religious rights should never be ignored. i am more than happy to become a fertilizer for plants. i followed my religion till the end and even helped out plants with my death. its better than becoming ash and dropped into a river.

lol! I'm not discussing the religion of the dead. But how SOPs should be in case someone dies of highly infectious diseases.

 

[Rollno21]

nope, religious rights should never be ignored. i am more than happy to become a fertilizer for plants. i followed my religion till the end and even helped out plants with my death. its better than becoming ash and dropped into a river.

Guys we live in 21st century ,use common sense..religious practices depend on the geography of it's origin .in Islam and christianity they burry the dead because it's easy to burry the dead in desert then to burn the bodies as it's hard to find wood which can be used for other useful things. In subcontinent it's easier to find wood hence they burn the dead.

 

[PakistaniAtBahrain]

lol! I'm not discussing the religion of the dead. But how SOPs should be in case someone dies of highly infectious diseases.

and i am saying the religious rights of the living and dead should not be trampled by the state, regardless of what the cause of death was.

Guys we live in 21st century ,use common sense..religious practices depend on the geography of it's origin .in Islam and christianity they burry the dead because it's easy to burry the dead in desert then to burn the bodies as it's hard to find wood which can be used for other useful things. In subcontinent it's easier to find wood hence they burn the dead.

muslims bury their dead because that is the law in islam. 21st century or not has nothing to do with it. you want to burn your dead and dump their ashes into a river, do it, not my problem.

 

[Chhatrapati]

and i am saying the religious rights of the living and dead should not be trampled by the state, regardless of what the cause of death was.

For a government when it comes to the well being of the citizens. Life trumps religion.

 

[PakistaniAtBahrain]

For a government when it comes to the well being of the citizens. Life trumps religion.

indian government cant be secular and hindu at the same time. if the world decided that burning the dead was bad for the environment, India would never force hindus to bury their dead. but all this alienation of muslims of india is good for Pakistan in the long run. balkanisation of india is in our best interests.

 

[Vanamali]

all faiths should be respected. cremation should never be state policy regardless of what disease outbreak it is or how bad the outbreak is. india and sri lanka only do this because they dont respect islam. you dont see Pakistan outlawing aspects of hinduism.

I don't think SriLanka has taken this decision from religious point.. if burying causes spreading of infection and proved scientifically then, i think even Pak will go for cremation...

Sri Lanka reversed cremation orders now... So it should bring relief to Muslims and Christians...