Assalamualaikum wrwb,

 

 

 

بِسْمِ ٱللّٰهِ ٱلرَّحْمٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ‎

 

 

إِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًا مُّبِينًا

"Verily We have granted thee a manifest Victory"

 

 

وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا

 

"And those who strive for Us - We will surely guide them to Our ways."

 

 

وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِي آدَمَ

 

"And indeed We have honoured the Children of Adam" - [This Hurma and sanctity, exists in life and death].

 

 

إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ

 

"The believers are but brothers, so make settlement between your brothers. And fear Allah that you may receive mercy."

 

 

At the meeting held at 11am (Sunday) at the Muslim Cemetery near Cochrane, members of the MCC, chairman of the cemetery (Khalil Karbani), chairman of the MCC (Mohammed Charanek), several board members. Several concerned citizens, family members of deceased, some of my family members were all present. It was a productive meeting that was good and ended in reconciliation.

 

Several people suggested ideas for the cemetery of different way the project could go ahead. And several voiced concerns about the current proposed project. 

 

Throughout the meeting I stressed that this meeting and the ideas/concerns cannot be a proper sampling of the broader concerns of the community at large. But the MCC said they cannot delay the development project for logistical/economic reasons, from my understanding, and they could not have a meeting community/consultation prior to proceeding in so short time.

 

Some consultations had been held in the past, years ago, but I did my best to convey why these were insufficiently informative and wide reaching and why much of the public did not fully understand what these development projects that were proposed now and done in 2021, actually entailed.

 

But the meeting ended well and compromises were reached that were agreeable to me, others, and the MCC. Allahuakbar wa Lillahil Hamd. So it was mutual "Manifest Victory". There are two winners in this situation. And no loser. And we are all one party in the end. I feel the dead are getting the dignity and rights, that I felt they deserved and that I set out to ensure that they got. No one differed about loving the dead and ensuring their rights, perhaps only what that entailed. Many of us, were firm that to walk on them or sit was not appropriate, for 40 years of the cemetery's operation, we had remained steadfast on that principle and 2023 was no different.

 

Of the understandings reached and confirmed by Khalil Karbani (Cemetery Chairman), Mohammed Charanek (MCC chairman) and witnessed by the MCC board and the public:

 

1. No persons will pass over graves whether on foot, vehicle or tractor, stand (or sit), or take wheelbarrows over graves, not even the cabin and driver of a tractor will pass over the graves.  

 

I discussed my photo evidence of these occurrences in 2021. I was assured these kinds of things, won't happen again. These compromises were reached gradually last week during discussions and during today's meeting, but finalized today. None of these compromises were in place prior to the discussions beginning, and these were the most salient accomplishments of this petition and the discussions held.

 

2. Abdul Majeed Qureshi will be an observer and will ensure that graves are not walked upon, driven upon, and provide instruction guidance to workers as needed on this matter during the development project.

 

During the meeting brother Mohammed Charanek gestured to my father to coordinate with him, and later confirmed with me that my father Abdul Majeed Qureshi (a founding member of this cemetery) will serve in this role during the current project, as he will already be present for work on his own parents' graves (my grandparents). My Father is ready to do this.

 

3. Mohammed Charanek proposed that during the work a box/frame will be placed on graves during the grading/levelling work so it's clearly defined. Flags may also be used as originally planned by Brother Khalil Karbani, regardless, they will be demarcated. It won't be flat level plane without markings as was done in 2021. These will also be a back up to geotagging the graves. Machinery, bobcats, people will pass between these grave boundary markers only.

 

The MCC cemetery chairman Khalil Karbani reaffirmed to us that their original intent was to level temporarily, but then afterwards raise the graves again (to keep them demarcated). Unlike in the 2021 grave development project where they left level/flat with the grass, as they have remained to this day, which we naturally had expected would be the case again. Brother Khalil also spoke of the religious "Sunnah" importance of raising it, demonstrating the appropriate height with his arm a few days prior. It was determined that the proposed project picture/artist rendering that the MCC had distributed around last week in their ad calling for volunteers and posted on the cemetery gate (which was what notified me of the this project and spurred us into discussion and into making a petition) was misleading as it displayed completely flat level graves. This was an unfortunate understandable mishap, and did not reflect their stated intention to have a raised grave end product. So this was not a point of compromise, just clarification. This was a very, very positive point for all of us.

 

MCC Chairman Mohammed Charanek also proposed a great idea for a permanent cemetery committee (which could provide stability and continuity) and for certain things to be written in bylaws in the future. But not much time was spent on discussing these points. I'm hopeful these will be carried forward in accordance with Mohammed Charanek's desires. May Allah, in this blessed month, give him and Khalil Karbani the tawfiq to see this very important effort through. Ameen.

 

Lastly, I may not be happy with many aspects of this project (I may not like the aesthetic appearance of it for instance). Some of you may not be happy with these compromises, but it seemed all those present were content to move on. So this was a mutual victory, I feel, for all of us present.

 

I feel the most important points concerning my/our views on respecting the rights of the dead have been addressed. Hence I feel it best to take this petition down. I am just eagerly awaiting written confirmation of the above points (1-3) that Chairman Mohammed Charanek verbally assured I will get from the MCC. I will be able to share it with you and take this petition down.

 

Was Salam,

Mohammed Saeed Qureshi