Muslims in Berlin decry lack of burial places, demand urgent solution

By Erbil Basay

BERLIN (AA) – The lack of graves for Muslims in Berlin has been an issue for decades, as more space is needed to accommodate more graves.

The umbrella associations established by Muslims operating in Germany's capital demanded that the Berlin state government must find an urgent solution to the problem about cemeteries where Muslims are buried with Islamic methods.

While the number of Muslims who want to be buried in Germany is increasing, the first generation Muslims who came to the country as workers prefer to be buried in the countries they came from, especially Türkiye.

However, a majority of the second and third generation Muslims in Germany want to be buried in the country they live in, as the relatives who will visit their graves and pray for them after they die live in that country.

Recently, the capacity of Gatow Cemetery, which is located in the westernmost borough of Berlin, has started to fill up.

Murat Gul, the president of the Islamic Federation of Berlin, told Anadolu that he received a letter from authorities saying that there will be no empty places in the cemetery and no burial will be allowed as of the end of March.

He also pointed out that a similar situation was experienced in 2018, and in 2021, bodies of 20 Muslims were kept waiting in Berlin during the New Year's holiday as there was no vacancy in the Gatow Cemetery.

The problem was solved temporarily then, he added.

According to Gul, more than 300,000 Muslims live in Berlin, and their numbers will be rising 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," he said.