The Egalitarianism and Muslim Minorities Grievances in Sri Lanka: Until the third wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak.

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume VI, Issue II, February 2022 | ISSN 2454–6186

The Egalitarianism and Muslim Minorities Grievances in Sri Lanka: Until the third wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak.

Thanabalasingam Krishnamohan¹, Halideen Fathima Rifasha^2
1Professor in Political Science, Department of Social Sciences, Eastern University, Sri Lanka, Chenkalady, Sri Lanka.
²B.A (Honous) in Political Science, Research Assistant

Abstract:
Sri Lanka is a country with a multi-cultural social structure. The majority living in Sri Lanka is Sinhalese who follow the Buddhist culture, Tamils who follow the Hindu culture, Muslims who follow the Islamic culture, also some Sinhalese and Tamils follow the Christian culture (Catholic and non-Catholic). Until now, Muslims, Christians, and some Hindus have been buried according to the cultural system, following their demise. However, the government ordered the burning of all bodies who died of the disease from the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak from March 2020 to March 2021. This study relates the relationship between the burning of dead bodies and the violation of the cultural rights of Muslims, the reasons for the burning of the bodies of Muslims who died of the Covid-19 epidemic, and the reasons behind the government’s subsequent permission to bury the dead bodies of Muslims, the World Health Organization (WHO) for burying the bodies of those who died of the COVID-19 epidemic and explores issues such as the reflection of the policy of the international community. In this research, the most common qualitative methods, include individual interviews, focus group discussions, and behavioral observations by means of thoughts, beliefs, customs, ideas, words, and phrases. Further, the Constitution of Sri Lanka and Al-Quran is used for this research. Based on the formula, ten samples were selected based on the purpose of sample selection. Of the ten chosen, four were males, and six were females. Seven of them are from Islam, and the other three are from different religions. Accordingly, information obtained through interviews with two families who had been directly affected and died of the COVID-19 pandemic, a public health officer, a former urban council member, a former mayor and teacher of Political Science, an Islamic religion leader (Moulavi), and four ordinary peoples. Secondary data were also used in this research. Data are obtained from texts, journals, research articles, websites, and the conclusion is obtained through the deductive method. Although the Sri Lankan government has consistently refused to listen to violations of the fundamental rights of Sri Lankan Muslims, it has allowed the burial of bodies after March 2021. However, the government has cremated the bodies of more than three hundred Muslim loved ones. By doing so, the government is violating the cultural and fundamental rights of Muslims. It has broken their minds and hurt and upset them.

Keywords: Burial, Cremation, COVID-19, Culture, and Funeral

1. Introduction
COVID-19 pandemic had been causing massive casualties globally since the end of 2019. Although in the beginning, COVID-19 pandemic deaths were relatively low in Sri Lanka, the death rate began to increase in mid-2020. In terms of last rites to the dead body, globally, two methods are followed, such as cremating or burying the bodies of those who die of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in Sri Lanka, which is a multi-cultural country, those who died from the COVID-19 pandemic were forcibly cremated. Such activity violated the fundamental religious, and cultural rights, which are mentioned in the constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in Chapter 3, article 10, sub-article 14 (1) (e) and (f), of the people who are living in Sri Lanka. Even though Sri Lanka, a developing country, has been, politically, socially, and economically, following the international system, the forcible cremation of the dead body during the COVID-19 pandemic violates the global system and human rights. In particular, the World Health Organization (WHO) report and the definition of the COVID-19 epidemiology Committee of Sri Lanka have made recommendations to bury the remains of Muslims (Bodies) without funeral rituals. Still, the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) rejected the above ethical decision to bury the bodies, last year. It relates to polarized political behavior and activity. The Muslim community expected the GoSL to allow the funeral rituals to fulfill at least the funeral prayer and the burials, in line with the health regulation followed throughout the world. Following the GoSL’s denial to listen to the fundamental rights of Sri Lankan Muslims, national and international human rights activists and parliamentarians put pressure on the government. Thereafter, the burial was allowed since March 2021. After a lengthy discussion, protest, and pressure asserting, that burying dead bodies due to the COVID-19 pandemic disease would not spread any diseases, Muslims’ dead bodies were allowed for burial. More than two hundred Muslims’ dead bodies had been burnt without respect for the cultural rights of Muslims. Lastly, the Muslim people won the struggle for their cultural rights and being treated equally in Sri Lanka. The WHO issued guidelines on safely handling the dead bodies of those who died from the COVID-19 pandemic. There is no universally accepted scientific evidence yet that dead bodies should be burned to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. At the same time, there is no scientific evidence yet for water contamination stemming from the burial of the remains of the COVID-19 pandemic victims. In Sri Lanka alone, the dead bodies of the COVID-19 pandemic were forcibly burned in this situation.

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