SHEFFIELD needs more Muslim burial sites and councillors need to plan for a forthcoming shortage, says a man who has launched a petition.
Ibrar Hussain says serious consideration needs to be given to burial sites across Sheffield for the Muslim community in the forthcoming Local Plan, a blueprint for how the city will develop over the next 15 years.
Hussian, a former councillor, says Muslim burial sites now have very limited capacity, especially in Darnall and Tinsley cemeteries, and more sites need to be identified for future use.
His petition has been signed by more than 1,200 people.
Hussain said: “Muslims are not cremated as in Islam it is strictly prohibited and all burials face towards Mecca, so everyone is always in line.
“The Muslim community is growing very fast in Sheffield especially in the last 10 years as many Muslims have come to live here from across the world.
“Before, the Pakistani community was the largest but now there are Muslims from Somalia, Yemen, Iraq, Kurdistan, Turkey and many other countries.
“Darnall and Tinsley cemeteries are full and there is much demand for City Road and Shiregreen, a situation made worse by the pandemic.
“We need to plan ahead otherwise we will be in trouble with land being very scarce. I want bereavement services to look in depth at this issue and bring a report to the council without delay so this can be part of the Local Plan.”
(Local Democracy Reporting Service)
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