P.E.I.'s Muslim community one step closer to having their own burial grounds

After a long search, P.E.I.'s Muslim community will finally have an official cemetery on the Island.

The plot inGreen Meadows, P.E.I., is roughly the size of afootballfield and will be the province'sfirst Muslim cemetery.

• Muslim Society of P.E.I. seeking final resting place for community members

The community has had the lot since the late 1990s butwere trying locate something closer to Charlottetown.

"Churches, normally they would have their cemetery right beside their churches. So we were thinking of doing something like that," said Harim Kamari a member ofthe funeral services committee for the Muslim Society of P.E.I.

They don't want to go anywhere else other than the Island ...HarimKamari

Although, he saidthat search has been unsuccessfuland the community is ready for Green Meadows to be developed.

"They were just pushing itto get it done after 15 years. They want it to be done as soon as possible," he said.

Cemetery a 'special place' for Muslim community

Until now, members of the community have had to be buried in other cemeteries on the Islandor they've had to travel to thenext closest Muslim burial grounds in Truro, N.S.

"It is important because in the Islamic context, we want tohave a special place, a resting place, among the Muslim community instead of sharing with other religions," Kamari said.

"They don't want to go anywhere else other than the Island so they are committed to do whatever it needs to take to have it here."

Funeral services currently cost 'way too much'

The project is costing around$10,000to have the land cleared and seeded, and will have room for hundreds of graves.

It's an investment Kamari saidwill save Island Muslims thousandswhen it comes to funeral costs because the society is consideringprovidingthe plots for free.

"The funeral services at present cost way too much for us," he said.

"We are trying to cut the costs down by having our own."

Constructionto clear the plot is expected to finish by the end of the week, after that they'll be seeding the lot.

The cemetery is expected to be completedin the spring and the community will finally have a resting place of their own.

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