Workers in moral dilemma over shifting graveyard in Fujairah

Fujairah: Labourers tasked with relocating human remains from an old graveyard say they are uneasy about their job and could stop working if religious scholars rule the practice un-Islamic.

Fujairah municipality started work last week on the relocation of the graveyard in the old part of Qurayya to make way for the Khor Fakkan-Fujairah road extension project.

Labourers are continuing to dig up the old graveyard, removing any human remains and putting them in black plastic bags, ready to be reburied again in a nearby graveyard.

Some of the workers, however, told Gulf News they feel uneasy about what they are doing and have consulted religious scholars for an opinion.

One labourer said: "We are doing our job but we feel bad in our hearts ... I have asked a religious scholar from Pakistan if what we are doing is okay, I will call him tonight for an answer and if he says it is against Islam, we will not come to work tomorrow."

The municipality insists they first informed residents about the plan a few months ago, but some residents still have mixed feelings about it.

One elderly resident said: "The people of the village now use the new graveyard to bury the dead ... the old graveyard was not used for burials anymore but it's still a shame they had to dig it up."

Engineer Mohammad Saif Al Afkham, Deputy Director of Fujairah Municipality, said the project is part of modernisation plans for the roads system and it was handled with sensitivity.

He said: "We consulted religious authorities and they said we cannot build over the graves but we can move them, so we had to remove the graveyard because constructing the road around it will create dangerous curves on the road."

Your comments

Please do not disturb the people sleeping under the mud. According to Islam the "death" is not an end but it is another start of journey to endless life. Up to that time the dead people sleeping under Mud. Do you want to disturb sleeping people? It is their place. Please Stop Stop and Stop.
Mohamed
Dubai,UAE

Shameful. One needs luck to rest in peace even after death.
Jocelyn
Dubai,UAE

It?s outrageous! What kind of society are we living in?! Even if the religious scholars allow digging the dead bodies out of graves, it doesn?t mean that it?s ok to appoint labourers to dig into the ground, bring out the dead remains of human beings and put them in plastic bags.
Malee
Dubai,UAE

I too would feel uneasy if I was told to relocate a graveyard by removing the human remains and re-burying them, but we have to look at it this way that we will all die some day and if everyone has to be buried. There will then not be any room left for the living!!!
Behin
Dubai,UAE

I am not a scholar in this matter but feel this is wrong. You can consult architects for a better suggestion without removing the graveyard.
Siddiqui
Dubai,UAE