Abusive voicemail over Muslim burials reported to gardaí

Staff working for Minister Robert Troy have reported to the gardaí an abusive voicemail left on the politician’s office phone after he published a video announcing that he had spoken with Westmeath County Council about opening up Ballyglass Cemetery in Mullingar to Muslim burials.

“I didn’t listen to it myself,” he said, explaining that his staff told him not to. He was disappointed, however, at receiving it.

The issue did prompt much interest: a clarifying social media post put up by Minister Troy received almost 2,800 endorsements and a similar number of comments.

“And there was a similar number of comments on it, and those comments were, I suppose, 50/50 positive and negative,” he said this week.

As it happens, there is no need for any special arrangements to have Muslim burials at Ballyglass, as it is run by the local authority, and thus open to those of any faith or none.

“There’s no change required to the existing bylaws or protocols in Ballyglass.

“This is, unfortunately, an attempt by some people to portray this as something that it’s not, and it’s an attempt by some people to sow division,” Minister Troy told the Westmeath Examiner.

Minister Troy approached the council over allowing Muslim burials at Ballyglass after a four-year-old Muslim boy died near his home in Farranshock after being struck by a car. The child was buried in Newcastle, County Dublin.

“I know the family well, and they were just telling me after that, they tried to make contact with the council in relation to burial in Ballyglass.”

Speed was crucial, as among Islamic people, the custom is to bury their deceased within 24 hours.

Seeking clarification on whether the child, or indeed anyone of that faith, can be buried at Ballyglass, Minister Troy said he facilitated a meeting with representatives of the Muslim faith.

“The council explained to them that it always has been the position that all faiths are welcome to be buried there. They expressed a wish that, in keeping with their tradition, their graves had to be orientated in a certain way. The council said that wouldn’t be an issue. And that was, that was simply it.”

He said some of the views expressed on his post were “disgusting” and should not be tolerated, especially since this was simply about allowing people of a different faith to bury their loved ones in their own community in line with their own customs.

“I don’t see the issue. I mean, there’s people of different faiths in the world, and we’re all just passing through. Why should somebody be deprived? This is not a Catholic graveyard. It’s a municipal graveyard, owned by the council.”

A statement issued by Westmeath County Council chief executive Barry Kehoe pointed out: “Ballyglass Cemetery is a municipal cemetery owned and managed by Westmeath County Council. It is, and has always been, a non-denominational burial ground, open to all members of the community regardless of faith or denomination.”

Continuing, it said that burials for people of different faiths and backgrounds have taken place there over the course of its operation, consistent with its non-denominational status.

“Westmeath County Council is committed to ensuring that dignified burial provision is available to all residents of the county, in line with its statutory obligations and the inclusive nature of this public facility,” it concluded.