The UK government promised to introduce changes to its emergency coronavirus laws to ensure that British Muslims who die during the pandemic will not be cremated.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said changes would be introduced to the 329-page proposed law to reassure Muslims that they will be buried in line with their wishes.
Mr Hancock told parliament that he had heeded lobbying from MPs who were concerned that the right of burial for Muslims would be limited in the event of the most extreme staff shortages for mortuary and funeral staff.
The law, being debated in parliament on Monday, includes provisions that would allow local officials to take control of the “death management process” and make decisions in case the system was overwhelmed.
It said that “personal choice will be respected as far as possible” but the system raised concerns that families of Muslim victims would not be able to veto cremations of their loved ones.
Mr Hancock said that the government had found a solution to concerns that loved ones would have to be cremated “to ensure that we can both have dignity in the case of a large proportion of the workforce not being available but also accede to the wishes of the families.”
The law was changed to ensure that any emergency action in the event of large numbers of deaths “appears consistent with the person’s religion, or belief” if known.
The change was success in a campaign by opposition party MP Naz Shah who secured the backing of more than 100 MPs to change the bill.
“I’m so relieved that the Government have listened to what we’ve said about religious burials for Muslim and Jewish people and have brought forward an amendment to address our concerns,” the MP said on Twitter.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
