SRI LANKAN GOVERNMENT APOLOGIZES TO MUSLIM COMMUNITY FOR COVID-19 CREMATION POLICY
On July 23, the Sri Lankan government issued a formal apology to the island's Muslim minority for enforcing cremations on Covid-19 victims during the pandemic. This decision was made despite assurances from the World Health Organization (WHO) that burials in accordance with Islamic rites were safe.
The government announced a new law that will guarantee the right to burial or cremation, ensuring that funeral customs of Muslims and other communities will not be violated in the future. This move aims to respect and protect the religious practices of all ethnic groups in Sri Lanka.
Muslim representatives in Sri Lanka welcomed the apology but noted that their community, which makes up about 10 percent of the island's 22 million population, remains deeply affected by the policy. Hilmy Ahamed, spokesman for the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka, stated, "We will now sue two academics – Meththika Vithanage and Channa Jayasumana – who were behind the forced cremation policy of the government. We will also seek compensation."
The forced cremation policy was initiated by then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who banned burials despite facing international condemnation from the UN Human Rights Council and other forums for violating Muslim funeral norms. In a book published earlier this month, Rajapaksa defended his actions, claiming he was following "expert advice" from Vithanage, a professor of natural resources with no medical background, who recommended against interring Covid-19 victims.
Rajapaksa eventually halted the forced cremations policy in February 2021, permitting burials at the remote Oddamavadi area under strict military supervision and without the participation of the bereaved families.
This apology and the new legislation are significant steps towards reconciliation and ensuring respect for the religious practices of all communities in Sri Lanka.
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