Cemetery Matter: Meeting Between Shoura and Minister of Religious Affairs Bettel

As part of its regular activities, a delegation from the Shoura – the Assembly of the Muslim Community of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, met with the outgoing Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy, Xavier Bettel, this morning.

The Shoura delegation consisted of its current Vice-President, Muhamed Ćeman, and the Secretary-General, Lukman Aličković.

During the meeting held in Mr. Bettel’s office, who is also the Minister of Religious Affairs, the issue of addressing the cemetery needs for members of recognized religions in Luxembourg was discussed in detail.

On this occasion, Mr. Bettel presented a concrete project proposal to address this need by establishing multi-confessional cemeteries in various regions of Luxembourg to meet the needs of all citizens throughout the Grand Duchy’s territory.

The Muslim representatives thanked Mr. Bettel for his efforts so far, especially the recognition of Islam at the beginning of his first term in 2015. – Muslims acknowledge this positive step and frequently mention it. However, regarding the resolution of burial and cemetery needs, the Muslim community is not satisfied with what has been achieved so far. – Mr. Bettel expressed his understanding of the expressed dissatisfaction while attempting to explain the delays by presenting objective reasons, and he expressed hope that the proposed project can be implemented in the near future.

Regarding the project proposal, which envisions the construction of five new multi-confessional cemeteries where each religious community would have its own section while sharing neutral communal areas, the Shoura representatives expressed their agreement with what they heard and saw, as they see it as a suitable solution to their needs. What particularly interested the Shoura delegation was the timeline for implementation because, faced with a real need within the community, there is no time to waste. Mr. Bettel expressed hope that the multi-confessional cemetery project can be realized within 2 to 3 years.

During the meeting, the question of the possibility of burial without a coffin, using only shrouds, as well as acceptable standards for individual grave arrangements, was also addressed.