As the Muslim population continues to grow in Germany and numbers approximately 5.3 million-5.6 million, the associations established by Muslims in the German capital Berlin are demanding concrete solutions for a lack of cemeteries where the devote can be buried as per Islamic methods.
Although Muslims who came to Germany as workers preferred to be buried in the country of their origin, a significant part of second and third generations of Muslim descendants, including the ones who came from Türkiye, want to be buried in the country they reside in, stating the presence of relatives who wish to visit their graves as a reason.
Despite the lack of cemeteries in the past, some regional municipalities allocated places for Muslims to have cemeteries, including in the capital Berlin, where there is a dense population of Muslims.
However, the situation is not the same in all regions, as Murat Gül, president of the Islamic Federation of Berlin (IF), which hosts 17 societies, explained to Anadolu Agency (AA). He said that two weeks ago, he received a letter from the Spandau District Office for Reconstruction, Planning, Environment and Nature Conservation stating that as of the end of March, there would be no empty space in the cemetery and no burial permits would be issued.
Explaining that they experienced a similar situation in 2018 and during the new year holiday period in 2021 when 20 funerals for the Muslim community were awaiting in Gatow as there was no place in the cemetery, Gül said that relevant offices and politicians he reached out to at the time stated the problem was temporary and would be solved.
However, Gül stated that, since the issue of Muslim cemeteries is a general problem of the city that concerns all districts, the Berlin state administration should directly deal with the issue.
Pointing out that the ''Berlin Muslim Cemeteries Initiative'' includes congregations from various countries and religious sects, Gül said that the Berlin state administration now had an addressee at the said initiative concerning Muslim tombs.
"More than 300,000 Muslims live in Berlin. This number will increase further in the coming years. The children and grandchildren of the first generation want to be buried here. It is a human right for the state to ensure that people are buried according to their religion. We want a permanent solution. This problem must be solved urgently," Gül urged.
Emphasizing that they are ready to work with the relevant authorities for a solution, Gül said that Muslims should not encounter this issue every two years.
Yakup Ayar, the president of the Turkish-Islamic Union of Religious Affairs in Berlin, also stated that Muslims in Berlin increasingly display the wish to be buried in the city.
Noting that only 10% of the Muslims buried in the Gatow cemetery, located on the western border of Berlin, came from the Spandau district, Ayar said that this cemetery appeals to almost all Muslims in Berlin. He called for adjustments, noting that cemeteries should be allocated in districts where a lot of Muslims live.
"This problem has been ongoing for two years. There are promises about the allocation of new burial places. However, we have not received a response so far. As Muslims, our request from the Berlin administration is to allocate new burial sites," he concluded.
