AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The Muslim community in Chatham-Kent, which consists of hundreds of people, wants to have a cemetery where they can bury their loved ones according to their faith.
A local committee presented an information report to Chatham-Kent council on Monday night, requesting a dedicated Muslim cemetery in the area.
Ike Saiyed, a member of the committee, said that after the presentation, two private cemeteries expressed their willingness to accommodate their needs, Chatham Daily News reported on Thursday.
He said the offers were greatly appreciated, but he did not reveal any details, as meetings were being arranged to discuss the matter.
Bakhtiyar Ahmed, the Imam of the Jami Masjid Chatham mosque, said that there are limited options for the Muslim community to have burials in Ontario, and the closest Muslim cemeteries are in Windsor and London.
He said that having a local cemetery would be less of a burden for people who have to travel to bury their loved ones. He also said that having a dedicated cemetery would attract more people from the Greater Toronto Area, who already find the lower cost of living in Chatham-Kent appealing.
Rob Pollock, director of parks, fleet and facilities, said that most requests by faith-based community groups are usually met by private cemeteries or by the groups purchasing land and getting it authorized as a cemetery by the Bereavement Authority of Ontario.
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