Muslims in Memphis fight for right to Bury their Dead--from Tolerance.org

Muslims Fight for Right to Bury Dead

Jan. 6, 2005 -- When Muslims in Memphis tried to build a cemetery, residents feared it would lead to terrorist activity. But mosque representatives only want a place to bury their dead.
By Carrie Kilman | Staff Writer, Tolerance.org

Muhammed Zaman just wanted a place to bury the dead.

Zaman's mosque, one of six or so in the Memphis area, was paying for space at a private cemetery, some 45 miles away, that was nearing capacity.

But when the Muslim Society of Memphis asked a suburban planning board for permission to build an Islamic cemetery closer to town, in an area with several other cemeteries, the community responded with outrage.

"We don't need bin Laden's cousins in our neighborhood," said one Fayette County resident during a public hearing.

"We know for a fact that Muslim mosques have been used as terrorist hideouts," argued another, who later likened Muslims to Nazis.

Worried that the public outcry might pressure county commissioners to deny the request, the Muslim Society temporarily withdrew its application. But Zaman, who teaches at the University of Tennessee's medical school, says the group is determined to prevail over the racist rhetoric.

"We are not quitting. We did not withdraw to give up," Zaman says. "We live and work here. Our children and our grandchildren were born here. We should be able to bury our dead."

Building bridges
The rhetoric in Memphis is typical of the ongoing, post-9.11 backlash against Muslim Americans.

But, in light of a recent Cornell University survey, the case is noteworthy for another reason: It shows what can happen when Muslims and non-Muslims get to know each other.

In the nationwide survey released last month, 44% of Americans said they supported placing restrictions on Muslim Americans' civil liberties.

The same study also noted that support for such limitations increased when respondents watched more television news, and decreased when respondents had personal relationships with Muslims.

Zaman saw proof of this in Memphis, when some of the mosque's most vocal supporters came from the Methodist church next door.

"We come at our faith from different angles, but we have to build bridges rather than tear bridges down," says Kent Bailey, minister of St. Luke's United Methodist, who wrote a letter to the editor in support of the cemetery proposal.

The close proximity of the two houses of worship has created a Petri dish for Christian-Muslim understanding.

It started when St. Luke's began loaning its parking lot to mosque worshippers each Friday afternoon. Later, a mosque member taught a Middle Eastern cooking class for the church's congregants.

But most impressive, says Bailey, is that on Sept. 11, 2002, Muslims and Methodists came together at St. Luke's for a joint commemoration of the one-year anniversary of 9.11.

"It was Muslim extremists who attacked our country; it wasn't the Muslims across the street," says Bailey, who received hate mail for his letter to the editor. "There are fanatics in all faiths, including Christianity."

An uncertain future
For now, the 27-acre plot of land on the outskirts of Memphis remains empty.

The Muslim Society still has a few options: It could resubmit its application; file a lawsuit; or build a mosque on the land, which would guarantee the right to build a cemetery. The group says it hopes to announce a new plan within the next few days.

In the future, says Zaman, the most effective way to side step such conflicts is to increase cultural awareness between Muslims and non-Muslims and to encourage Americans to become critical consumers of the media.

"Both sides need to interact with each other, instead of relying on CNN or FOX News to determine our point of view," Zaman says. "What do our opponents believe? What they have seen on TV, or what they actually experience?"

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