Faith communities 'need urgent action' on burials

Abid Hussain, from the South Yorkshire Muslim Bereavement Trust, said families were "devastated" by delays to burying their dead

The leader of an Islamic bereavement charity has said changes to Sheffield's burial policy are needed "urgently" after the council published a new cemeteries strategy.

The council, which previously said it had three years of burial space left for Muslims, this week approved proposals to buy more land and said it hoped to engage with faith and cultural groups.

Abid Hussain, from the South Yorkshire Muslim Bereavement Trust (SYBT), said delays at every stage of bereavement had meant burials being postponed, leaving families "devastated".

Calling for the new strategy to be "actioned and implemented", he said: "For us, closure is burying the dead as soon as possible so their next life can start."

Islamic custom typically emphasises that a body should be buried within 24 hours of death if possible.

Mr Hussain said delays in issuing death certificates, which he believed had grown longer and more common since the Covid-19 pandemic, had led to burials being postponed.

'You can see desperation'

He explained this meant that friends and relatives who travelled to attend funerals had to find accommodation until delays were resolved, and sometimes they ended up missing the funeral altogether.

"You can see the desperation in people's faces, it's not something that anyone who's going through a loved one's death should have to face," he said.

The council's Communities, Parks and Leisure Policy Committee approved the new Cremation and Cemetery Services Strategy on Monday.

Influenced by one of the city's largest-ever public consultations, the council said the strategy addressed growing pressure on burial space, rising costs, and the evolving needs of a diverse population.

Mr Hussain said the SYBT had been consulted by the council as they developed their new strategy, but an action plan was needed in "a year to 18 months".

"Generally, I'm delighted that something that has been kicked into the long grass for the past decade has now taken priority in the council," he said.

"My only concern now is that it's in written form - it needs to be actioned and implemented."

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