Citing a growing Muslim population in South Florida, an Islamic Center wants to open a cemetery that adheres to the religion’s specific burial rites on a seven-acre plot in the Redland.
“As this community expands, so does the need for a burial space. This is the fact of life,” said Dr. Tariq Chebbi, a well-known South Florida Imam at a zoning hearing earlier this month on the proposal. “Proper burial in accordance with Islamic teaching is very important. This involves specific ritual and practices that must be followed.”
Islam — a religion that has a strong belief in the afterlife — places great importance on burials. Muslims believe in burying their loved ones as soon as possible after death. Plots must be facing East, toward Mecca, the Islamic holy city. Muslims don’t use embalming chemicals and cremation is forbidden. Ideally, they are supposed to be buried alongside other Muslims.
“Burial is a religious practice for Muslims and that’s why it’s so important,” said Omar Saleh, legal director of the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), an organization also advocating for the project’s approval. “That’s the distinction made between other funeral homes … Most Muslims have run into those issues of not only how to bury, but how quickly to bury.”