Balkans | More than 2,000 cemeteries promised Muslim burials in Berlin

After the cemeteries in which the burial took place according to Islamic methods were revealed, the Ministry of Environment, Consumer and Climate Protection in the state of Berlin promised to open more than 2,000 cemeteries this year for the burial of Muslims.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), the ministry’s press spokesman, Jan Thomsen, said it was important for the ministry to allow Muslims to be buried according to religious methods, and said it was necessary to open new areas due to the increase in population. Burial requests according to Islamic methods in recent years.

Thomsen stated that they will achieve this for this year and shared information that new burial places will be opened according to Islamic methods in the cemetery in the Jato district of the Spandau region.

He explained that the district of Spandau, which is responsible for the cemetery in question, has begun the necessary planning, and the ministry will issue a special permit for this under the Federal Environmental Protection Law, Thomsen said, “It is expected that the expansion of Jato will be completed after May.” He said.

In addition to the cemetery in Jato, new areas will be opened in a Protestant cemetery with the possibility of expansion in the Neukölln district in March, and a small cemetery will be used in the Pankow district, Thomsen said. He pointed out that the church cemetery is planned to be expanded.

“In short, more than 2,000 new Islamic burial sites will be established in private cemeteries this year, according to existing plans, preliminary agreements and the current situation.” Thomsen said, indicating that the emergency situation on this issue can be prevented for the time being.

Noting that the Ministry of Environment, Consumer Protection and Climate Protection is making efforts to enable other cemeteries to carry out burials according to Islamic ways, Thomsen said he has asked provincial municipalities to examine and identify potential areas for Muslim burials in state cemeteries.

Thomsen said that those who run Protestant cemeteries have been consulted on the matter and that only those who run cemeteries decide to establish Muslim burial sites.

Yakup Ayar, head of the Turkish Islamic State Union for Religious Affairs (DITIB) and spokesperson for the Muslim Cemetery Initiative in Berlin, said that the local authorities were satisfied with their quick response in the Muslim cemetery emergency, and that they took it as a sign of goodwill.

Amendment, emphasizing that the opening of 2,000 burial sites is not enough, said: “This will relieve us in the short term for the time being. However, when we look at the medium and long term, this number is very small. It must be added on. Different alternatives and solutions must be found.” “. He said.

Aiyar stressed that there are more than 300 thousand Muslims living in Berlin and this number will increase in the coming years. There are demands in this direction, especially from the third and fourth generations. This number is definitely not enough.” Use the phrase.

Eyre urged the Berlin administration not to think in the short term. “We don’t want to face the same problems two years later,” he said. He said.

And desiring that the Berlin administration consult with the Muslim cemeteries initiative in Berlin regarding new places that will be allocated to Muslims in the future, Aiyar demanded the opening of a cemetery for Muslims in the Weiding area, where Muslims live in abundance.

The umbrella associations created by the working Muslims in Berlin wanted the Berlin state government to find an immediate solution to the problem of cemeteries in which Muslims were buried in Islamic ways.