{"id":110109,"date":"2020-12-26T17:48:01","date_gmt":"2020-12-27T00:48:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=110109"},"modified":"2020-12-26T17:49:57","modified_gmt":"2020-12-27T00:49:57","slug":"burial-of-covid-affected-dead-bodies-tail-wagging-the-dog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2020\/12\/26\/burial-of-covid-affected-dead-bodies-tail-wagging-the-dog\/","title":{"rendered":"Burial of COVID affected dead bodies; Tail wagging the Dog?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Raj Gonsalkorale<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

True\nIslam is derived from the Quran and not from the traditions or cultures of\nMuslim people -www.quran<\/strong>–islam<\/strong>.org<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Burial of Muslims who have died of COVID has become a huge political issue. Science and religion seem to have been overtaken by raw politics. All this while the pandemic is raging in the country with more than 39000 cases reported and the numbers detected averages around 400-500 on a daily basis. If these increases continue at this rate, it is likely that the total will exceed 50,000 before the end of Januray 2021. The death toll has reached 185 although as a percentage of the total infected, it is less than 0.5%. No doubt even one death is too many. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the context of the seriousness surrounding the pandemic in Sri Lanka, and its health and dire economic impact, the burial issue is like a storm in a teacup. Whilst not imputing any offense to any community, it is akin to a tail-wagging a Dog. Nero fiddling while Rome burnt also sounds familiar here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The political debate goes unabated while it is not out of place to say most people show scant regard to safety measures such as wearing masks and social distancing that should be adhered to as directed by health authorities. Some campaigners of the Sinhala Buddhist heritage and ownership of the country have placed the governing leadership of the country on top of a land mine. They dare not move as that would explode the mine and themselves in the process.\u00a0 Science is selectively quoted to further their arguments. All this happens while hospitals are stretching themselves to treat COVID patients in addition to the normal inpatient and outpatient numbers, education disruption continues, and the economic downturn worsens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other side of the coin are Muslim proponents of the demand that nothing but burying their dead proposition on religious grounds should be agreed to by the government. While the writer does not claim to be any kind of expert on the Islam view on burying the dead, and no doubt there are many claims and counterclaims with regard to what is in the Quran in regard to this practice, the following section from a website called True Islam (https:\/\/www.quran-islam.org\/articles\/part_5\/cremation_(P1503).html)<\/a> is quoted here for purpose of generating a rational discussion on this topic, hopefully, outside of the political arena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is cremation prohibited in the Quran? -By: A. Muhammad<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditional Islamic\nscholars have always maintained that cremation is prohibited by God in the\nQuran, and that an Islamic burial is the only method of disposing of a dead\nbody that is approved by God. To justify their claim, they refer to two\nQuranic verses, 5:31 and 17:70. This article aims at analysing this\nclaim in the light of the Quran.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

FIRST: 5:31<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So God sent a crow\nscratching in the ground to show him how to bury his brother’s\ncorpse. 5:31<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The claim is that God\nrelated this story to us to teach us the correct method of disposing of a dead\nbody. Thus any other method of disposing of a dead body is prohibited by God.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The significance\nof 5:31 in the light of the Quran<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To analyse the significance\nof 5:31, the Biblical names of Cain and Abel are used for reference.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1-<\/em><\/strong> God does not give us His law by means of a raven! When God decrees\na law that all people must follow, God openly says, “You shall do so and\nso”. There are no such words in 5:31.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2-<\/em><\/strong> The story of the raven was an isolated event related to one person\n(Cain) at one specific point in time. Once again, when God decrees a law that\nis binding for all people, God addresses: “O you who believe”, or\n“O Children of Adam”.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3-<\/em><\/strong> Since the event of the raven took place at the very beginning of\ntime, for all we know, fire was not yet known to humans, and so the process of\ncremation would not have even been an option at the time.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4-<\/em><\/strong> We do not find in 5:31, nor anywhere in the Quran, words that\nstate that burial is the only method approved by God, nor do we find any\nQuranic words that prohibit cremation. Since nothing is prohibited unless it is\nclearly prohibited by God in the Quran, then there is no evidence to justfy the\nprohibition of cremation.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

5-<\/em><\/strong> In the story of the raven, the death of Abel was the very first\ndeath on earth, and thus no one then had any clue of what to do with a dead\nbody! The process of burial would not have been known yet, thus what the raven\nshowed Cain was new, and much needed, knowledge of how to dispose of a dead\nbody, no more and no less.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

SECOND: 17:70<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Muslim scholars also refer\nto 17:70 to justify the prohibition of cremation:<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have honoured the\nchildren of Adam and carried them on the land and in the sea and We provided\nthem with good things, and We favoured them considerably over many of those We\ncreated. 17:70<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The claim is that in\nkeeping with the spirit of this verse, it is necessary to treat the human body\nwith the utmost of respect, not only when a person is alive, but also when\nhe\/she is dead. Cremating the deceased or discarding bodies in other ways is\nconsidered sacrilege and abhorrent and, therefore, forbidden according to\nIslam.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The significance of 17:70\nin the light of the Quran<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1-<\/em><\/strong> Burying a body, or cremating it, leads to the same end result; the\nbody will turn to dust.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2-<\/em><\/strong> A dead body is dead matter, not any different from a dead\nextracted tooth, or hair that has been cut, or an appendix that was removed,\nand so on. <\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is there any difference\nbetween a dead tooth and a dead body? Yes, there is more dead matter in a dead\nbody! Do we bury our extracted teeth and our removed appendix? And if we do\nnot, would that mean that we are not honouring our body just like God honoured\nus in our lifetime?<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3-<\/em><\/strong> The honour that God speaks about in 17:70 is specified in the same\nverse and it is all during our lifetime. God honoured us by means of\nthe “good things” that God granted us during our life time,\nand also by means of the dominion which God granted us over all creatures on\nearth. This is in the words that state that God favoured us, during our life\ntime, “over many of those We created”.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4-<\/em><\/strong> The body, which we occupy during our life on earth, is no more\nthan a shell we occupy for a predetermined term. This shell becomes dead matter\nafter our death. It is thus irrational to think that it is possible to honour\ndead matter!<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only honour any human\nmay receive after death is the honour in the Hereafter. It is not the dead body\nthat receives the honour, but the real person, the ‘self’. As for the dead\nbody, whether it is buried or cremated, it will be resurrected by God on the\nDay of Judgement.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

5-<\/em><\/strong> As for the claim that cremation is degrading, dishonouring or\nabhorrent, this is no more than cultural baggage! In Western societies, people\nwho are cremated are disposed of in a very dignified manner and no one\nconsiders it degrading or abhorrent in any way.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n


\n<\/em>The conclusion arrived at in this report states,\nquote Following the above analysis, which confirms that there is no\nprohibition in the Quran against cremation, it is worthwhile to dig deeper and\ntry to understand why the Muslim scholars came up with the prohibition of\ncremation. Why do they proclaim that burial is the only Islamic method that is\napproved by God, when all that they stand on are the incorrect interpretations\nof two Quranic verses? Here we find a link that appears to be of great\nsignificance and which connects the prohibition of cremation to another equally\nun-Quranic claim. According to hadith, after death, a wicked person who\ncommitted many sins will be tortured in his grave in what they call the\n“punishment of the grave”. It follows that if a person is cremated,\nand his ashes are scattered and no grave is allocated, this would totally ruin\nthe theory of the “punishment of the grave”! It is hard to justify a\nscenario where angels are wondering aimlessly unable to determine the location\nof a dead person and where his punishment of the grave can be dished out! Needless\nto say, the concept of the “punishment of the grave” is yet another\nmyth that violates Quranic truth, but that is another story<\/em><\/strong>, unquote.<\/em><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is hoped that the Muslim community and its religious leaders, and\nothers opinion makers who could think and argue rationally consider the issue\nof burying the COVID affected dead come up with a rational solution that is consistent\nwith the situation in hand. Such a solution should be best for the entire\ncountry in the first instance and secondly, to their community. A rational\nsolution will be possible if this matter is taken out of the hands of\npoliticians whose actions will not be based on science or religion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of science relating to handling of dead bodies, including\ndisposal by means of burial or cremation, the WHO Guideline relating to Infection prevention and control for the safe management of a dead body\nin the context of COVID-19 Interim guidance 4 September 2020<\/strong>\u201d could be the source for a rational discussion. This guideline\nleaves cultural and religious practices to individual countries and communities\nbut, in relation to science, states There is a common assumption that people\nwho died of a communicable disease should be cremated to prevent spread of that\ndisease; however, there is a lack of evidence to support this. Cremation is a\nmatter of cultural choice and available resources\u201d.  There are a number of scientists, including\nSri Lanka\u2019s own renowned scientist Dr Malik Pieris, who has publicly stated\nthat there is no scientific evidence to prove COVID has been spread through\ndead bodies. These scientists as well as the WHO which is basing their guideline\nbased on science, and importantly, what is scientifically known today, are all\ncautioning care and safety in the manner dead bodies are being disposed of and\nthey are not offering carte blanche advice one way or the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two factors therefore could form the basis of arguments for or\nagainst burial of dead bodies. Firstly, what is scientifically known today, and\nthe ever mutating nature of this virus where science also finds some difficulty\nin tracking its characteristics. If burial is the option chosen after a\nrational discussion, safety of others here and now, and into the future should\nbe the prime consideration and not debatable cultural practices where there is\nsome doubt about its religious origins and teachings. If cremation is the\noption chosen, it should be chosen for safety reasons and not because that is\nthe dictate of the Sinhala Buddhists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secondly all shades of opinion must consider the yet unknown\ncharacteristics of the mutating virus, and the soil conditions, water tables\netc that may have some impact on the spread of infection. Practices in other\ncountries is not necessarily a determinant factor as to what is best for Sri\nLanka.  To err on the side of caution\nmight be a more important and reasonable and prudent option to take in the unknown\nCOVID viral world. The WHO Guideline is also termed an interim guideline and it\nstates clearly that it is based on what is known as of now. Scientists too have\nmade such a qualification. Therefore, a decision to be taken in Sri Lanka\nshould be based on risk management and avoiding practices that pose a risk that\nis not prudent to take given the circumstances. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, what is more important and immediate for all Sri Lankans\nis how the ever increasing numbers of infections can be arrested through\nbehavioural changes on their part and about how all Sri Lankans could put their\nshoulders to the wheel to avoid the country becoming a bankrupt, debt ridden\ncountry. From many accounts, in a general sense, it does not appear Sri Lankans\nhave come to terms with the dire economic situation they are placed in. One is\nreminded of the pithy saying Nava Gilunath Ban Chun\u201d, meaning that even if\nthe ship sinks, Sri Lankans will continue their penchant to make merry; a very Titanic scenario of the ships band continuing to play while\nit was sinking.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Raj Gonsalkorale True Islam is derived from the Quran and not from the traditions or cultures of Muslim people -www.quran–islam.org Burial of Muslims who have died of COVID has become a huge political issue. Science and religion seem to have been overtaken by raw politics. All this while the pandemic is raging in the country […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[172],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-110109","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-raj-gonsalkorale"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110109","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=110109"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110109\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=110109"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=110109"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=110109"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}