Bruce Feiler - Where God Was Born, Abraham, Walking The Bible

How to Bury a Muslim in Maryland
Thursday, February 8, 2007

I received a fascinating email this week from the Maryland state rep, Sandy Rosenberg, who represents the district in Baltimore where my mother grew up, and where my cousins still live. At issue: What to do when Maryland state law made Muslim-style burial illegal. His story of a Jew helping Muslims in his district bury their loved-ones legally is inspired, if only because it's the type of story we never hear in the media. This is America's true gift to the world, using a political legacy of pluralism to promote freedom of religion -- all religions:

At a candidates' night this past summer, a constituent asked us our position on a bill providing for burials consistent with Islamic belief. None of us was aware of the legislation. (I later learned that it had died in a Senate committee and thus never came before the House of Delegates.)

I met with Abdul-Hamiyd Muhammad afterwards and promised to work with him after the election. We were then joined by Saqib Ali, a newly elected delegate and the first member of the Muslim faith to serve in the General Assembly.

The crux of the issue: Muslims wash the body in a certain manner and may not embalm. State law requires that an apprentice assist in the embalming of at least 20 dead human bodies before obtaining a mortician's license. The challenge of solving a problem like this and forging a unique coalition to do so especially motivates me.

This afternoon we were joined by several other Muslims and reached agreement on the changes we needed to make to the bill draft. Over the years, I've worked on several bills to protect the exercise of religious belief.

This time, however, the sponsor line will read: Rosenberg and Ali.

Labels: Interfaith Relations, Religion in America

Posted by B Feiler at 10:51 AM
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