Iraq, hundreds of relatives for COVID-19 victims dug their loved ones from the “coronavirus cemetery” to rebury them in their rightful place after restriction laws preventing COVID-19 victims being brought back to family tombs were eased.
The law was introduced as a precautionary measure where the corpses could still spread the virus. It was only one family member allowed to attend the speedy burials, which took place in the middle of the night. Victims from all religious sects were buried five meters apart by volunteers in full protective gears located outside the shrine city of Najaf where it was designated a “coronavirus cemetery”.
On September 7th, Iraqi authorities announced that the restriction would be lifted so the deceased could be relocated to the cemetery of their family’s choice. From the announcement, hundreds of mourners carrying shovels and baskets began arriving at the cemetery on Thursday night.
Mohammad al-Bahadi, one of the family members at the cemetery, dug into the sand with his bare hand to reach his father’s corpse.
He said, “Now he can finally be with our people, our family, in the old cemetery.”
‘The first time, he was buried so far away. I’m not sure it was done in the proper religious way.”
A lot of confusion among the dead’s relatives caused by a lack of organization in the cemetery. This causes a family member dug up a gravesite with their relative written on it to find a teenage boy instead of their deceased mother.
Many were grateful to finally be given the opportunity to have a traditional send off their loved ones. Another mourner, Hussein, said, “Since my father was buried here, I keep replaying his words in my head before he died: ‘My son, try to bury me in the family cemetery, don’t let me be too far from my relatives.”
“The dream that had been haunting me for these last few months has been realized.”
Source: Daily Star