أستراليا: مساعي المسلمين للحصول على مقبرتهم الخاصة

- خبر من مصادر إنجليزية.

واجه المسلمون بـ"أستراليا" مشكلة تكدس الوفيات بالمقابر الحكومية العامة، إضافة إلى ارتفاع تكاليف مراسم الجنازات وما يتعلق بها من شعائر؛ وبناءً على ذلك يسعى القائمون على خدمة الجنازات الإسلامية بضاحية "مونتين درويت" بولاية "نيوساوث ويلز" لشراء أرض تبلغ 16 هكتارًا.

ولتحقيق ذلك أطلق مركز "شزيب جنازة" حملة لجمع تبرعات تبلغ 4 ملايين دولار، مطالبًا المسلمين بالتعاون ونبذ الخلافات جانبًا في إطار الوحدة بين أفراد المجتمع.

جدير بالذكر أن الحكومة الأسترالية خصصت نحو 3.3 هكتار بمقبرة "روكوود" العامة كمقبرة لكل من المسلمين واليهود. المصدر: شبكة الألوكة.

يرجى الإشارة إلى المصدر عند نقل الخبر – شبكة الألوكة.

الخبر من مصدره الأصلي:

Muslims are in grave strife

FACING overcrowded public graveyards and expensive burial plots, Sydney's Muslim community has launched a search for its own cemetery.

An Islamic funeral service in Mt Druitt that provides low-cost burials for Muslims is looking to buy up to 16ha in the city's west.

Shahzeb Janaaza Services says a shortage of plots and high charges mean poor Muslims are being squeezed out of Rookwood and Riverstone cemeteries.

"Riverstone only has about two months left and Rookwood up to five months," funeral director Osman Iqbal said. "There are 450 Muslims passing away every year in NSW and not every family can afford private, expensive funeral services. Regardless, there needs to be respect for the dead."Islam requires bodies to be ritually washed, shrouded and buried without caskets within 24 hours of death.Shahzeb has launched an appeal to raise money from the community for the cemetery project and has a target of $4 million.

"We need support from the community. We need to put our differences aside, regardless of religion and race," Mr Iqbal said.

"Unity is the issue. If the community comes together, the rest will fall into place. We just want (to) have somewhere to honour those who have died."

Shahzeb is a non-profit organisation, with all funeral rituals completed by volunteers.

Mr Iqbal said a new 16ha cemetery would last Sydney's Muslim community for many years.

"Once up and running, we'd be able to extend or open more cemeteries and ghusl facilities (ritual washing) across the state."

The state government recently allotted the last remaining land inside Rookwood cemetery - 3.3ha that will be split between the Muslim and Jewish communities.

It has also amalgamated six of the cemetery's seven trusts, creating a NSW Cemeteries and Crematoria Board chair to oversee the changes.