‘Exporting’ The ‘Covid Burial’ Issue To Maldives: Is It A Hobson’s Choice Or Another Red Herring? 

By Mohamed Harees –DECEMBER 16, 2020

Lukman Harees

“Tolerance of intolerance enables oppression.” ― DaShanne Stokes

The Muslim community is losing hope in their battle for justice to bury their ‘Covid’ dead. This is a traumatic situation for the entire community. Yes! trauma aside, this is going to have serious implications for generations to come. With legal avenues being effectively blocked by the highest court of the land, and their calls for good sense or soundness of judgment being virtually muted in the face of a history of ‘State sanctioned’ racism particularly in Post war Sri Lanka, the beleaguered community appears to be facing another dilemma – to be or not to be buried in a foreign land! Is the Government offering a Hobson’s choice to the Muslims or is this another red herring to side-track their palpably vicious agenda to alienate them?  

The government of Maldives has generously come to bury their COVID-19 victims in the island on special request from Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to assist Sri Lanka in facilitating Islamic funeral rites in the Maldives, for Sri Lankan Muslims succumbing to COVID19 pandemic. Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid  said in a Tweet, that the decision is based on the close long-standing bilateral ties between Sri Lanka and Maldives, and to ensure help to face the challenges of the pandemic. Deputy Director General of Health Services, Dr Hemantha Herath was quoted as saying that Foreign Ministry has asked health authorities to develop guidelines and look into the practically of the offer.

To the Government of Maldives! Muslims indeed are much grateful and thankful for the brotherly thought and concern and the gracious offer to bury their Covid bodies. It is much appreciated. However, whether the gesture made with such laudable intentions  will ‘assist the Muslim community in Sri Lanka’((as stated), in the long run and to get justice for their cause to be treated as dignified citizens in the land of their motherland, in another matter altogether! It can well and truly even be a ‘Trojan horse’ to test the resolve of the community to protect their constitutional rights and their identity!      

On the face of it, this decision appears to solve the problem in the short term to “offer solace to our Sri Lankan Muslim brothers & sisters grieving over burial of loved ones” as Maldivian Foreign Minister’s tweet read. In the short term, as officials pointed out some issues need to be worked out pertaining to the safely transportation of COVID-positive dead bodies . Currently, airlines are not accepting such remains, and sending the bodies via ship would also present practical difficulties and delays in burials. However, even if they are sorted out, what is totally ignored in the process is how the Government of Sri Lanka is attempting to side-track the main question: Why is it not possible to allow the grieving families to bury their loved ones affected by Covid following WHO Guidelines adopted by over 182 countries? Why is it not possible to clearly lay down the scientific evidence before the nation , which is not available for the rest of the world?  If definite answers cannot be provided quoting proven scientific evidence, then it will be foolhardy for the rulers to attempt to cover  their ‘emperor’s clothes’-  stubborn ‘’State sanctioned racist policies’ designed to please an electorate which voted them to power on a majoritarian mandate! 

It is not rocket science to understand that it is the right of every citizen of  Sri Lanka, to be buried in their own motherland, if their death occurs within its borders, whether due to Covid or not. Even when someone dies overseas, the stress of bereavement can be made worse by having to deal with an unfamiliar system far from home and all efforts will be taken to bring the body home. Thus, it is just hilarious to even think of their bodies being sent to a far-away land for burial, where the affected families practically cannot even be there to send their loved ones off in a dignified manner. Apart from cost of travel, the place of burial will be an alien or a strange land to the affected families. How then can a grieving family bear the stress of their sad loss when the body of their loved one who passes away in their own country is packed off to another country however welcoming that country may be? It is indeed adding insult to injury to a beleaguered community which has been already undergoing immense stress due to the said government’s arbitrary and inhumane ‘forced cremation ‘policy and also in the backdrop of increasing Islamophobia ever since the Easter Sunday tragic attacks in April last year. 

Although Maldives offer is appreciated, allowing covid bodies to be buried outside Sri Lanka however will portend a definite danger for the future identity and status of a community, long being demonised in the country as aliens and outsiders by hate groups led by rogue monks and sections of the media whose patron saints are in the government. Muslims being the direct victims of a demonization and discrimination policy of the government in this instance, it will only give the impression that the community implicitly accepts that they are second class citizens whose religious and cultural rights enshrined on paper in the constitution are merely up for manipulation or tampering. In short,  they accept that they have no right to ask for burial rights. This will also confirm the racist narrative that Muslims do not belong to this country. The Muslim community and its leaders need therefore to be mindful in how they act in this challenging situation. They should take a principled stand in relation to the ‘burial abroad’ issue and oppose this strange move to send their dead to foreign location for burial, however laudable the intentions of the offering Muslim brotherly nation may be!    

The coronavirus crisis is stressful for people worried about their health, job security, families and communities. It becomes even more emotionally taxing when a loved one dies and family or friends when they have also been forced to cremate their dead, in direct violation of their religious rights and traditions without no plausible reason. The very thought of dying from Corona has been driving fear and anxiety into their hearts. Apart from the Muslims, this warped policy has also adversely impacted the Christian community as well. In the context of no scientific basis to deny the burial option to dispose Covid bodies, the callous disregard for religious rites shown by the State has, understandably, caused tremendous distress amongst these communities. 

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