A Muslim man based in Sheffield has launched a petition expressing deep concern over the area’s lack of Muslim burial sites. 

Ibrar Hussain, a former councillor, says Muslim burial sites now have limited capacity, especially in Darnall and Tinsley cemeteries, and more areas need to be identified for future use. So far, the petition has been signed by more than 1,200 people.

Mr Hussain explained why he launched the petition: “Muslims are not cremated as in Islam it is strictly prohibited and all burials face towards Mecca, so everyone’s is always in line.”

“The Muslim community is growing very fast in Sheffield, especially in the last ten years as many Muslims have come to live here from across the world.”

“Before, the Pakistani community was the largest, but now there are Muslims from Somalia, Yemen, Iraq, Kurdistan, Turkey and many other countries.”

“Darnall and Tinsley cemeteries are full, and there is much demand for City Road and Shiregreen, a situation made worse by the pandemic.”

“We need to plan ahead otherwise we will be in trouble with land being very scarce. I want bereavement services to look in depth at this issue and bring a report to the council without delay so this can be part of the Local Plan.”

Across the UK, there have been reports of Muslim cemeteries running out of space, a situation which has been exacerbated due to the Covid pandemic.