All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU) has made a fresh appeal to allow the burial of COVID dead in a letter to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, and Health Services Director-General Dr. Asela Gunawardena.
Following are excerpts of the letter, signed on behalf of the 7,600 Members Scholars around the country by the ACJU Executive Committee.
It is with great concern that we witness the critical impact of the COVID-19 pandemic which has affected many countries around the world and has disrupted the normal routine lives of the people.
Accordingly, today we write about a very sensitive matter, which unfortunately has become a controversial topic currently. We wish to express our serious concerns regarding the cremation of victims of COVID-19. We reiterate that this request is in accordance with the guidelines set by many international health organisations and endorsed by recognised medical professionals the world over.
We are aware that many concerns have been expressed, claiming that groundwater may be contaminated due to the burial of COVID-19 victims; and various other issues have been cited as reasons to mandate cremation as the only mode of disposal of the bodies of COVID-19 victims.
However, it is significant to note that since the outbreak of this global pandemic, almost all the countries in the world have practised the burial of the bodies of COVID-19 victims without any reports of any complications or issues arising due to this practice.
(FT)