At this very moment, as people head to Mecca to fulfil their religious obligation people in Yemen which shares a border with Saudi Arabia cannot meet their obligation because of war. The adversaries claim to be from the same religion. To avoid war based on faith is why there is a dictum that there is no compulsion in religion. Human beings have to bury their dead. It is the duty of the councils to provide burial grounds and not the Supreme Islamic Council (SMC). The SMC should not be given tasks that it cannot implement. The SMC has no legal authority to order the burial or exhumation of dead bodies. Once death certificates are produced and families apply for burial it is done. Anybody who obstructs the burial of a person or exhumes a body against the will of family members and causes public disorder is likely to be charged and arraigned before a court. Animosity between families could build up. The most stakeholders of different sects and faiths could do is to establish inter–sect or inter-faith dialogue and agree on terms and involve the councils if they need other burial sites. Dialogue on the basis of respect is the way forward and not confrontation or recrimination.]]>
