Lagosians oppose the New cremation law

As Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola signs the cremation bill into law,there are conflicting voices that greets it. Some religious leaders have distanced themselves from it, saying it is in conflict with what the holy books say about how to dispose of the dead.

The Rector, Markaz Institute of Islamic and Arabic Studies, Agege, Lagos, Sheik Habebullahi Adam-al-Ilory, notes in a telephone interview with our correspondent that Islam does not support such an idea.

He says, “Islam does not support cremation. There is a verse in the Holy Q’oran that says it is from the land that we came from, and there we will return and it is from there, we shall be called up again.

“But Nigeria is a secular state. It is multi-cultural and multi-religious. It is now left for those who want to cremate their dead to do so. It is voluntary.”

On his part, the founder of Heal The World Mission Incorporated, Pastor Tola Olukilede, also shares the above view, using The Holy Bible as the basis of his argument.

He explains that The Bible does not support cremation of the dead, citing the examples of the experience of the patriarchs of the Christian faith – Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Elijah, Elisha, Jacob, Joseph and Jesus Christ, among others. He says all of them were buried.

“It is said in the Bible that from the dust we were made and to the dust we shall return. I never read it anywhere in the Bible where anyone was cremated.”

 

Govermental Reason

There is also the fear that public cemeteries in Atan and Ikoyi are getting choked. In spite of the existing private ones – Vaults and Gardens, Ikoyi; Victoria Court Cemetery, Lekki/Ajah, among others – Thus the need for a radical option.

 

culled from PUNCH