-plans to do other cemeteries

Members of the Muslim community have decided to embark on a project to clear a section of Le Repentir cemetery.

Two of the volunteers at work in the Muslim section of Le Repentir

According to Brother Wazeir of the New Mosque, Ruimveldt, the project which started yesterday, will see Muslims assembling at the cemetery every Sunday morning to clear the area, which is located north of Vlissengen Road close to the Mandela Landfill. He said participants under the auspices of Islam Cares were clearing the overgrown bushes and trees present in the ‘Muslim Cemetery’, as it was referred to by persons at the cemetery yesterday.

Wazeir told this newspaper yesterday that the Mayor and City Council has given permission to members of his faith to clear the area which encompasses two beds measuring 200 ft in length by a width of 40 feet. That plot of land is being prepared for the burial of persons when they leave for the great beyond. He said volunteers will also be clearing other parts of Le Repentir after the exercise is completed. The volunteers will also undertake similar exercises at cemeteries along the East Coast and East Bank of Demerara and in Georgetown. According to Wazeir, he conceptualized the idea after assisting in the preparations for the funeral of a Vryheid’s Lust resident who was killed on Laing Avenue recently. He said the man was buried at the Providence Cemetery and his relatives encountered “a lot of hassle” while making preparations for the funeral. Wazeir is encouraging Muslims and non-Muslims to make a concerted effort in clearing the surroundings for their loved ones at cemeteries across Guyana.

Two participants who were present during yesterday’s exercise told Stabroek News that they were there to ensure that their loved ones will be placed in a clean environment when they go to rest. One of the men said a relative of his was buried in that section of Le Repentir. He said over the years a number of trees and thick bushes have taken over sections of the cemetery and he noted that the area is in dire need of an adequate drainage system. The man said he decided to participate in yesterday’s exercise so that his relative could ‘rest in peace’.

Over a dozen persons participated in yesterday’s exercise which saw the old and the young  armed with rakes, cutlasses, shovels and brush cutters clearing the area. The exercise will continue on Sunday at 8 am.