Muslims

COLOMBO – The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) raised the issue of Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 cremations at the 46th United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva on Tuesday (23).. Speaking at the sixth meeting of the high…
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COLOMBO - Sri Lanka's minority Muslims demonstrated in Colombo Tuesday (23) demanding an end to forced cremations of COVID-19 victims as Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan arrived on an official visit. Dozens of Muslims carried a mock…
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Connection between the people of Pakistan and Sri Lanka are rooted deep in history. Buddhism had flourished in areas that became Pakistan and the Muslims traders, in the early years of Islam, had been familiar with Serendib from where they…
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COLOMBO – The four Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Members of Parliament (MPs) who voted for the 20th Amendment to the Constitution in October last year had been assured the government would permit the burial of COVID-19 victims, SLMC…
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NEW YORK – Sri Lanka’s requirement to cremate anyone who dies from COVID-19 goes against public health guidance and discriminates against the Muslim community, Human Rights Watch said on Monday (18). The government’s spurious argument that…
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By Ambika Satkunanathan Kanagasabai Thevathasan is a 64-year-old prisoner I met while I was at the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka. Twelve years have passed since he was arrested, more than ten of which he has spent in prison.  …
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By Dr. Farah Mihlar For nine months Muslims in Sri Lanka have been begging the government to allow them to bury relatives who have died of COVID-19. Their plea has been supported by some non-Muslim civil society and religious leaders and…
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By Hasan Esen and Bilal Acar    LONDON - The compulsory cremation of bodies of Muslims dying from COVID-19 in Sri Lanka is “purely a political measure” and it is “unacceptable”, a faith leader from the British Muslim community said. It…
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By Shreen Abdul Saroor Forced cremation of those who succumb to COVID-19 has become the single greatest fear in the minds of Sri Lanka’s Muslims, more than the pandemic. Whatever one’s religious belief or ethnicity, ensuring the deceased…
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COLOMBO – The decision by the Danish government to incinerate the remains of millions of Mink, slaughtered and buried after a variant of the COVID-19 virus spread among the animals is refuelling the debate over the funeral rites of Muslims…
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