FMC welcomes NDC’s intention to build mortuaries for Muslims

The  Federation  of Muslim  Councils (FMC) has  endorsed  the  National Democratic  Congress (NDC)’s  plans to  build  mortuaries  to cater  for  the  Muslim  dead  in accordance  with  Islamic  tradition.

According to  FMC,  it  had taken cognizance  of  NDC’s  manifesto  pledge which  is to  facilitate  the  establishment of mortuaries in accordance  with Islamic customs and practices and collaborate with  the Ministry of Health  to set up  teams  responsible for procedures that are in compliance with Islamic  customs  and practices at all  mortuaries.

This was contained in a statement signed by the   Secretary-General of FMC, Al-Hajj Mohammed Amir Kpakpo Addo and copied to the Ghanaian Times last Friday in Accra.

The statement said Islamic tradition demands that Muslims were buried at the earliest possible time after being pronounced dead.

It also added that the tradition demands that men handle corpses of men and vice versa without unnecessarily exposing the private parts of a Muslim corpse, except to the extent that is inevitably necessary.

It indicated that often times Muslims blame hospital and mortuary staff for treating their loved dead ones in a manner that did not commiserate with Islamic practices.

“Sadly, too, male and female Muslim dead bodies are combined in the mortuaries in their nakedness, without observing the Islamic moral practice in handling corpse.

“It is therefore  disingenuous  for any Muslim or group of Muslims  to stand  in the  way  of Islam by impugning on the promise to provide  decent  and dignifying  last  respect  to the  Muslim dead  regardless  who is making the promise,” it said.

The presidential candidate of the NDC, Mr John Dramani Mahama, a fortnight ago during a live interview with TV XYZ and Woezor TV, in the Volta Region took the opportunity to highlight his party’s proposed interventions in the People’s Manifesto for Zongos and deprived urban settlements.

The former President said Muslims have entirely a different culture when it comes to handling of the dead and processes of burials and touched on the party’s plans in lessening the burden of bereaved Muslims by treating their deceased loved ones in line with accepted practices of the Islamic faith.

“So a lot of the Muslim communities have not been happy. And so we say we will facilitate the establishment of mortuaries in accordance with Islamic custom and practices and collaborate with the Ministry of Health to set up focal teams responsible for procedures that are compliant with Islamic custom and practice at all public mortuaries,” he said.