| |
 Print
Manitoba Islamic Association planning province's first Muslim funeral home
3-04-2020
Association held a telethon to help raise some of the $600K needed.
The Manitoba Islamic Association is planning to build the first Muslim funeral home in the province, as it attempts to deal with increased demand for funeral services.
The MIA needs $600,000 to build and equip the funeral home, said association chair Idris Elbakri. As of Saturday morning, the group had raised about $450,000, according to its website.
The association hope to have the home, which will be an extension of the Manitoba Grand Mosque in Winnipeg, ready by March.
"We have, for many decades, provided a service for the community, in terms when somebody passes away, we take care of the funeral arrangements," he said.
"Our partners are struggling with this as our numbers increase," Elbakri said, adding that the MIA has at least one funeral each week.
The group is broadcasting a telethon on the its Facebook page this weekend.
"We're doing the old-fashioned telethon where people can call in and pledge or donate on the phone," Elbakri said.
There will be opportunities for the community to get a better understanding of the project, as project leaders and committee members will be interviewed throughout the broadcast, he said.
He said that Muslim funerals have slightly different customs than some cultures and religions. For instance, the body is buried within about 48 hours of death.
Jude Casas, a member of the MIA since 2001, told CBC News that the space where funerals currently take place has to be booked in advance and that it's a shared space with other services.
"The families feel a lot better and well taken care of, when their deceased member is still in the care of their own community," Casas said.
Elbakri said the funeral space is also far away from where most of the community lives.
"Hopefully [a funeral home] will make the process much more efficient, and will allow the family more time for grieving," Elbakri said.
Footnotes:
|