Government decides to recommence burials in Malé
The decision will be enforced from Friday onwards
The burial grounds at the A'Sahara Mosque
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs has on Thursday decided that funerals and subsequent burials will again commence in Malé City.
Some local media sources have reported that the Ministry made the decision for the upcoming month of Ramadan as a means of providing ease for citizens.
The decision will be enforced from Friday onwards.
The government’s decision last month to stop burials in Malé City, on the grounds that the A’Sahara Mosque was full. Burials were moved to a mosque in Hulhumalé, the capital’s fast growing extension, though this was met with complaints from the public.
However, the government has previously defended their decision vehemently, with ministers and President Abdulla Yameen himself claiming that it would have long-term benefits.
However, the president had on Thursday retracted this and stated that the complaints have led him to concede that it came with restrictions.
The A’Sahara Mosque has been long used as the burial grounds for residents of the capital city – along with Hulhumalé and Villimalé. It has been piled over with an additional layer every time the entire grounds become full.
