25 January 2018
The Muslim Council of Britain shares the concerns raised by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan and the Board of Deputies of British Jews in relation to delays in the release of bodies post mortem.
Many Muslims require the deceased to be buried as soon as is practicable after death, and that any delay can only be on the basis of legitimate post mortem investigations. The Senior Coroner at St Pancras Coroner’s Court, Mary Hassell’s indication that she would not prioritise release on religious grounds would run against the wishes of many Muslim and Jewish families.
We urge Ms Hassell to reconsider her position, and to respect the requirements of bereaved families from faith communities, by expediting the release of bodies of the deceased for burial according to their own religious and cultural traditions.
For further information see the submission from the MCB, prepared in consultation with affiliates, to the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Funerals and Bereavement inquiry into delays between death and the burial or cremation of the deceased, June 2014.
[ENDS]
Notes to Editors:
The Muslim Council of Britain is the UK’s largest Muslim umbrella body with over
500 affiliated national, regional and local organisations, mosques,
charities and schools.
For further information please contact:
The Muslim Council of Britain
PO Box 57330
London
E1 2WJ
Tel: 0845 26 26 786
Fax: 0207 247 7079
[email protected]
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