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Anger over plan to dig up 350,000 bodies in historic London cemetery for Muslim burial site[UK]
Daily Mail ^ | 11 Oct 2007 | Daily Mail

Posted on 10/11/2007 10:58:41 AM PDT by BGHater

A row has erupted over a plan to dig up a third of a million bodies from an historic east London cemetery to make way for a new Muslim burial site.

Tower Hamlets council in London is considering reopening the Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park in Mile End to answer a long-running campaign for a Muslim graveyard in the area.

The park, off Bow Common Lane, was deconsecrated as a Church of England cemetery by Parliament in 1966, after being deemed full with about 350,000 bodies buried there.

It is not yet clear what the Council proposes to do with the remains, if they are ultimately removed from the graves and a new burial site built in their place.

Council sources have said the plans are not yet at a stage where this has been properly considered.

But already opponents to the proposal are lining up. They include the environmentalist and broadcaster, who is leading calls for the park to be kept as a wildlife haven.

The botanist, who is patron of a charity that acts as the guardian of the graveyard, said he will 'pray that the wisdom of all faiths' prevails in the decision over the cemetery's future.

The other options are to find land outside Tower Hamlets or redevelop the Bow Common gas works.

The Labour-controlled council had asked officers to find ways of opening a Muslim-only cemetery - but lawyers warned them that would be illegal.

The authority then examined the possibility of a multi-faith site, clearing existing graves to create a new cemetery with an area set aside for Muslim burials.

But now outraged East Enders have declared "there is no way we'll allow them to dig up our ancestors".

They have bombarded their local paper, the East London Advertiser, with protests against the plan to exhume 350,000 graves dating back to 1841, including those of the children of Dr Barnardo.

Religious leaders and politicians have also reacted angrily.

Tower Hamlets Tory group leader Peter Golds said no new cemetery had been opened in an inner city area for decades.

Cllr Golds insisted: "Of course, there must be respect for the recent dead and for those who mourn, but this proposal will cause untold damage to community cohesion in a borough that seriously wants for tranquil open space."

Labour's Poplar and Canning Town MP Jim Fitzpatrick said: "The cemetery is a very special piece of green space and I would personally want to examine very carefully any proposal to change that."

The Rev Alan Green, chair of the Tower Hamlets Inter-Faith Forum and dean for the borough, said the former Church of England graveyard was not an 'appropriate' place for a new cemetery.

Rev Green said: "The Church supports the move to ensure suitable future provision for the burial and cremation needs for all local residents.

"However, we do not believe that the Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park is an appropriate location due to the emotional, practical and ecological issues of removing thousands of bodies and destroying an important wildlife centre.

"Therefore, we hope that we can work with the council and other faith groups to find a more suitable alternative."

Even Respect group leader Abjol Miah, who has been at the forefront of calls for a Muslim cemetery, opposed the blueprint.

Mr Miah said: "The Bow cemetery is an historic site and a nature reserve and therefore appears not to be an appropriate place.

"However, there is an urgent need for new cemetery facilities for Tower Hamlets residents.

"The lack of such facilities affects everyone, and is pressing because many, including most Muslims, prefer to bury their loved ones."

But defending the plan, Labour's environment spokesman in Tower Hamlets, Abdal Ullah, said: "To preserve the respect and dignity for everyone, I think most of the graves would have to be cleared out and we'd start afresh."

He said a corner of the cemetery would be reserved for Muslims who are buried in shrouds at a depth of 6ft and on their side facing Mecca.

With the fast-changing demographics of Tower Hamlets, the cemetery would be pre-dominantly Muslim.

Re-opening the cemetery would require an Act of Parliament - involving widespread public consultation and scrutiny but by law, any graves more than 75 years old can be removed.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: burial; cemetery; crushislam; desecration; ghouls; immigration; islam; islamicimperialism; london; muhammadsminions; muslim; muslimlands; muslims; sacredground; stopislamization; uk; waronislamism
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To: knighthawk

TROP’s ambition is to destroy and desecrate what others regard as holy. They should be cast out..


81 posted on 10/11/2007 8:30:10 PM PDT by sheik yerbouty ( Make America and the world a jihad free zone!)
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To: maine-iac7
...maybe, if some grease is left over, spread it around some mosques and neighborhoods and .... could be the ultimate non-lethal weapon.

Or not so non-lethal, even...

Ever seen those aerosol fuel-air explosives? Mix in a decent percentage of bacon grease, then let 'er rip.

You even get a nice bacon-scented battlefield as a bonus.


82 posted on 10/11/2007 9:33:23 PM PDT by Charles Martel (The Tree of Liberty thirsts.)
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To: BGHater

MOVING FATHER’S GRAVE

They’re moving father’s grave to build a sewer
They’re moving it regardless of expense.
They’re moving his remains to lay down nine-inch
drains
To irrigate some rich bloke’s residence.

Now what’s the use of having a religion?
If when you’re dead you cannot get some peace
‘Cause some society chap wants a pipeline to his
tank
And moves you from your place of rest and peace...

Now father in his life was not a quitter
And I’m sure that he’ll not be a quitter now.
And in his winding sheet, he will haunt that privy
seat
And only let them go when he’ll allow.
Now won’t there be some bleedin’ consternation,
And won’t those city toffs begin to rave!
But it’s no more than they deserve, ‘cause they had
the bleedin’ nerve
To muck about a British workman’s grave.


83 posted on 10/11/2007 9:50:00 PM PDT by LibFreeOrDie (L'Chaim!)
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To: BGHater

Has Prince Charley turned his palace into a mosque yet?


84 posted on 10/11/2007 9:51:45 PM PDT by eleni121 (+ En Touto Nika! By this sign conquer! + Constantine the Great)
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To: Allegra

I was reading that on the way to work today and could feel the vom coming up in my throat...did you hear about the airline worker who got escorted off the premises by security and suspended because he put up a picture of Jesus at his desk and Muzzie complained? That one nearly had me projectile vomming...This country is doomed by leftists!


85 posted on 10/12/2007 4:56:49 AM PDT by wazoo1031
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To: maine-iac7
I honestly didn't know the answer to that question. I was starting to think "is it still the dark ages over there?".

http://www.newstatesman.com/200409200005
I don't know if this is accurate....but worth a read.

"...A few rich people, many of them aristocrats, own 69 per cent of the land in Britain. As a result, house prices are so high, millions can't afford to buy a home. The NS launches a campaign to end this feudal system....

The United Kingdom is 60 million acres in size, of which 41 million are designated "agricultural" land, 15 million are "waste" (forests, rivers, mountains and so on) and owned mainly by the Ministry of Defence and the Forestry Commission, and four million are "urban plot", the land on which most of the 60 million people of these islands live. In sum, 69 per cent of the acreage of Britain is owned by 0.6 per cent of the population. Or, more pertinently, 158,000 families own 41 million acres of land while 24 million families live on four million acres. ..."


86 posted on 10/12/2007 5:52:29 AM PDT by Freedom2specul8 (Please pray for our troops.... http://anyservicemember.navy.mil/)
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To: maine-iac7

Good point.


87 posted on 10/12/2007 6:24:19 AM PDT by ZULU (Non nobis, non nobis Domine, sed nomini tuo da gloriam. God, guts and guns made America great.)
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To: VOA

Now why didn’t I think of that?


88 posted on 10/12/2007 8:28:50 AM PDT by Friend_from_the_Frozen_North (If you are, as Rush would say, "A Glittering Jewel of Colossal Ignorance" don't waste my time...)
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To: onedoug

ping


89 posted on 10/12/2007 8:41:35 AM PDT by windcliff
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To: windcliff

What should one expect from islamists? What should one expect form the British?


90 posted on 10/12/2007 9:52:22 AM PDT by onedoug
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To: onedoug

There is no more Britian.


91 posted on 10/12/2007 10:38:05 AM PDT by windcliff
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To: BGHater

BTTT

Just saw this posted over on LGF, and searched for it here.

Bumping for more exposure. This is unbelievable.


92 posted on 10/14/2007 4:35:34 PM PDT by KJC1
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To: gardencatz; Repub4bush

Get a load of this.

(Meant to ping you on previous comment.)


93 posted on 10/14/2007 4:38:49 PM PDT by KJC1
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To: BGHater

Is ths a “plan” or a stupid, ridiculous and obscene “suggestion”?


94 posted on 10/14/2007 4:54:58 PM PDT by BnBlFlag (Deo Vindice/Semper Fidelis "Ya gotta saddle up your boys; Ya gotta draw a hard line")
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