Sri Lanka Muslims protest COVID-19 cremations

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s Muslims demonstrated in Colombo on Tuesday demanding an end to forced cremations of COVID-19 victims.

Dozens of Muslims carried a mock janazah, or coffin, denouncing the Sri Lankan government’s policy of banning burials of virus victims disregarding their funeral rites.

The demonstration was aimed at the visit of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan who two weeks ago had weighed in on the plight of Muslims in Sri Lanka.

Khan had welcomed an announcement by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on Feb. 10 that burials would be allowed, but a day later Colombo backtracked and said there would be no change in the cremation-only policy.

“Respect Prime Minister’s statement and allow burials,” said a banner carried by the demonstrators who assembled at an open space in front of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s office.