Sri Lanka’s government formally apologized to the country’s Muslim minority on Tuesday for enforcing cremations on COVID-19 victims, ignoring WHO guidelines that permitted burials according to Islamic traditions. The cabinet issued an apology for the compulsory cremation policy during the pandemic and announced a new law ensuring the right to burial or cremation, respecting the funeral customs of Muslims and other communities.
Muslims traditionally bury their dead facing Mecca, while Sri Lanka’s majority Buddhists and Hindus typically practice cremation.
Muslim representatives in Sri Lanka appreciated the apology but noted that their community, about 10 percent of the island’s 22 million people, remains deeply affected. Hilmy Ahamed, spokesperson for the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka, stated they plan to sue two academics, Meththika Vithanage and Channa Jayasumana, who influenced the forced cremation policy. They will also seek compensation, highlighting the anguish of a young Muslim couple whose 40-day-old infant was cremated against their wishes.
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Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa banned burials despite international criticism for violating Muslim funeral practices. In a recent book, Rajapaksa defended his actions, citing “expert advice” from Vithanage, who lacks a medical background, to prevent COVID-19 victims from being buried.
Rajapaksa ended the forced cremation policy in February 2021 after an appeal from then Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan during a visit to Sri Lanka. The government subsequently allowed burials at the remote Oddamavadi area under strict military supervision, without the presence of the bereaved families.
