The recent shooting at a Quebec City mosque that killed six men highlighted a problem that Quebec Muslims have faced for years: there aren’t enough Islamic cemeteries in the province.
Quebec only has five Islamic cemeteries, all of which are in the Montreal area. As a result, Muslims who don’t live in the region but want a traditional burial for loved ones must travel long distances to visit the gravesites.
An estimated 8,000 to 10,000 Muslims live in Quebec City, and establishing a cemetery in the provincial capital has long been a priority within the community.
“Twenty years we worked to have our cemetery in Quebec City,” Mohamed Labidi of the Quebec Islamic Cultural Centre told CTV News.
But according to Labidi, problems with zoning, funding and community opposition have made it difficult to get a dedicated burial ground.
At a funeral for the mosque shooting victims, Quebec City’s Mayor Régis Labeaume, promised to deliver the long-awaited cemetery. He also vowed to help the community navigate municipal bylaws and ministries.
Members of the Islamic Cultural Centre have since selected a 60,000 square-foot plot of land on the outskirts of Quebec City and will spend $215,000 on the site.
The land currently belongs to a funeral home called Harmonia, which has been working with the community to create the new cemetery.
“We had discussions about what they need, what the community needs, and what is our own project and we see that there is a kind of connection,” said Sylvain Roy, director of operations for Harmonia.
However, it will take some time before the burial grounds are ready. In the meantime, Muslims seeking traditional burial grounds will still need to make the 2.5-hour journey to Montreal.
With files from CTV News Genevieve Beauchemin and CTV Montreal
