MUI Protests To Sri Lanka Government, Cremation Of Muslim Citizens Violates Human Rights

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has submitted a protest to the Sri Lankan Government which issued a regulation on the cremation of all the bodies of COVID-19 victims, including Muslim citizens in the country.

MUI considers the regulation to ignore the human rights (HAM) of minority religious groups, including Muslim groups. This was the MUI statement reported by Antara, Friday, January 15.

Regulations are not only contrary to Islamic religious beliefs but also international human rights law, including article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which guarantees the right of everyone to practice their religion and practice their religious teachings, and Article 18 (1) of the Convention on Civil and Political Rights which also guarantees the rights of everyone. to adhere to religion and carry out their religious teachings.

Even though every country, including Sri Lanka, has the right to make regulations, including the management of the bodies of victims of the COVID-19 outbreak, these regulations must still respect the rights of religious groups, including Muslim groups.

MUI said that the Indonesian Government itself had made regulations regarding the management of COVID-19 victims according to the religion that citizens believe and embrace. For this reason, MUI has issued a special Fatwa regarding the handling of the bodies of COVID-19 patients.

In this regard, MUI urged the Sri Lankan Government to cancel the regulation and replace it with a regulation that respects the rights of minority groups, including Muslims.

In addition, the MUI also urged the Sri Lankan Government to conduct consultations with minority religious groups, including Muslims.

Furthermore, MUI asked the Government of Indonesia, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to continue the MUI protest representing the interests of Muslims throughout Indonesia to the Government of Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lankan government insists it will cremate all the victims who have died due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

To that end, the policy owners have rejected all international requests and recommendations to allow Muslim minorities to bury their bodies according to Islamic law.

Launching CNA, Saturday, January 9, the government previously banned the burial of the bodies of victims of COVID-19 in April. The reason is that buried bodies can contaminate groundwater and spread the virus.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reacted. They said, the bodies that have been buried will not contaminate and spread COVID-19. With that in mind, WHO appealed to Sri Lanka to start burying victims of COVID-19 again. However, the proposal was rejected.

"This decision will not be changed for social, religious, political or other personal reasons," said one Sri Lanka Health Ministry official.