Dear Brother/sister,
Assalam-u-Alaikum wrt
As you mst be aware we are fast running out of burial ground in Sydney.
Riverstone Muslim Cemetery is the only burial place for Muslims in
Sydney. Situated on a one-acre land within Riverstone Cemetery, it has
about 1000 burial plots. Till 14th May, more than 200 burials have
been made. Every week, 6 to 8 burials are happening and trend is on
the rise as plots become more and more scarce by the day.
Now it's time, we should plan for establishing a cemetery exclusively
for Muslims so that it can be ready for burial before the existing one
runs out of plots. A possible option is to establish the Cemetery in
and around Blacktown-Hills area with Prayer and Washing facilities
within the Cemetery compound. Please note that, as per 2006 Census,
Blacktown council has a Muslim population of 12000+ and Baulkham Hills
council has 5000+.
The department of Lands is organising a community consultation on the
4th of June 2008 re: Sustainable burials in the Sydney Greater
Metropolitan Area.
It is our intention to work with other organisations working towards
establishing sustainable muslim burial grounds for the whole of
sydney. Having said that, it is our aim to represent the muslims of
Inner and North West Sydney in a bid to seek an allocation in the
local area as well, in line with the Sustainable Burial Grounds
discussion paper of the Dept of Lands, which acknowledges the need to
have smaller regional cemeteries rather than big cemeteries outside
the Greater Sydney Metropolitan Area.
We seek your assistance in soliciting support through signatures on
the attached petition. Please aim to have the petitions back to any of
the given contacts on the petition by 1st of June 08.
Regards
Abdul Haq
for: Riverstone Muslim Cemetery Board
ph: 0425260239