KBR Muslims speak out against cremation of coronavirus casualties

The cremation of a Muslim is unacceptable, even if he dies from coronavirus, the residents of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR) interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" assert.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on April 10, the Dagestani Muftiate indicated, in the burial rules of coronavirus casualties, that cremation or other methods that do not comply with Sharia standards "are strictly prohibited in Islam." At the same time, the Russian Spiritual Administration of Muslims (SAM) has called cremation of bodies admissible in exceptional cases.

The KBR's SAM has nothing to do with the Russian SAM, Alim Sizhazhev, the deputy chairman of the SAM of the KBR, has commented on the prescription of the Russian SAM.

"We are an independent organization' we have our Council of Ulamas, which will make decisions for the region. As for the essence of the issue, we don't want to touch on it yet, because we hope that this will bypass us," Mr Sizhazhev told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The residents of the republic, interviewed by "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, are not ready to abandon the funeral rites obligatory for Muslims.

Thus, a 78-year-old local resident has stated that she has an extremely negative attitude to the idea of cremation of the Muslims who died from coronavirus. "Cremation is contrary to both our religion and our tradition," the woman said.

"This is some kind of delirium. What is the need to cremate those who died from coronavirus? Who said that the virus will get out of the ground and continue living and spreading? The bodies were cremated in those places, where there were too many dead, and not because coronavirus is some kind of special infection. I am categorically against cremation. In Islam, the body of the deceased must be buried into the ground," said a 63-year-old resident of Nalchik.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on April 14, 2020 at 08:51 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.