Khaldon Azhari

TOKYO: Japanese and naturalized Japanese muslims are appealing to the government to help them get approval from local authorities in Hiji town, Oita Prefecture, to establish cemeteries for deceased Muslims but local Japanese residents have been opposing the plan for more than a decade. 

“We request the Japanese government make at least one multicultural graveyard in every prefecture … so muslims can be buried as cremation is forbidden in Islam,” Muhammad Tahir Abbas Khan, Chairman of Beppu Muslim Association said in an appeal to Japanese Health Minister Norihisa Tamura.

Khan was accompanied by local Christian and Buddhist monks supporting the appeal. They held a press conference at the members’ office building of the House of Councillors in Tokyo to explain their case and generate momentum to get the required permission.

Local Japanese residents say the proposed burial ground bought by the Muslim community is close to an agricultural water source, so having corpses in the area might pollute it. Groundwater is also pumped for drinking. According to Khan, there is no scientific evidence of any negative impact on health or pollution.

Khan, who is also the President of Islamic Council of Japan, Kyushu branch, expressed hope “that the Mayor of Hiji town would lend support to the appeal”.

Jikaku Daido, a Japanese monk said at the press conference, “So far, there has never been a complaint toward Christian cemeteries.”

Amin Kimiaki Tokumasu, head of Japan’s Muslim Association noted that “There are 220,000 to 230,000 Muslims, and 50,000 to 60,000 Japanese Muslims. The number will increase in the future.”

Currently, there are seven graveyards for muslims in Japan.

Muslim living in Japan who are not of Japanese nationality usually ask to be returned to their own countries for burial outside Japan.  Some reports said there are cases of cremation of Muslims in the country due to the shortage of Islamic cemeteries nationwide.