News from Harrow Labour

Harrow Labour welcomes new Saturday Muslim burials

The Muslim religion ordains that any Muslim burial should take place within twenty four hours if at all possible on any day of the week. The Chairman of the Harrow Muslim Council, Cllr Nizam Ismail, has continued to raise the concerns of the local Muslim community that such a service is not available to Harrow residents at weekends.

This issue has been raised many, many times and most recently by Cllr Ismail at the last meetings of both the Cabinet and the Council.

Cllr Ismail, Chair of Harrow Muslim Council and Cllr for Queensbury Ward, said: “I have been dismayed by the responses of Cllrs Susan Hall and David Ashton in which they claim that there is no demand for a seven day a week burial service despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.”

Cllr Nizam Ismail has continued to pursue this matter latterly, in an hour long meeting which he arranged with Michael Lockwood, Chief Executive of Harrow Council, and Brendon Hills, Corporate Director of Community and Environment. Cllr Nizam Ismail was accompanied by both the General, Secretary and Treasurer of Harrow Central Mosque, Mr Ghulam Rabbani and Mr Azmath Ali respectively, the President of the Sri Lanka Muslim Cultural Centre, Mr Junaideen Mubarak and the President of the Harrow Senior Muslim Citizens Association, Mr Abdul Hamid Sheikh.

The meeting was very positive and constructive. It was agreed to look into this matter very seriously and an undertaking was given that burial facilities would be provided on Saturdays at Carpenders Park as from April 1 2010.

Cllr Nizam Ismail said: “At last someone has listened to us. Having burials on Saturdays is an important step forward and we will wish to see this extended to Sundays as well.”

There was also a very productive discussion about the management of the Muslim section of Harrow Weald Cemetery which is currently underused due to the restricted services offered by the Council. The Harrow Muslim Council put forward a proposal to the Chief Executive of Harrow Council for the local Muslim community to manage the running of this part of the cemetery in order to provide burials seven days a week under a service level agreement.

Cllr Ismail said: “The Council has promised to look at this innovative proposal very seriously and to respond in the very near future.”

Other news from Harrow Labour

• Harrow Labour and Lib Dems join forces to slam Tory scrutiny failure - 26 February 2010
• MPs, anti-poverty groups, and churches unite against vulture funds - 15 February 2010
• Poll shows Harrow residents still very unhappy with Council - 12 February 2010