Thorold council vote to amend cemetery bylaw to accommodate Muslim burials

Councillors in the City of Thorold have voted to amend the city’s cemetery bylaw so that it accommodates muslim burial traditions. This comes after a local Muslim family says they were denied a local burial for their daughter last year. The amendment to the city’s cemetery bylaw would allow for burials facing Mecca, which is a critical Muslim burial practice. However, one councillor says he’s still disappointed with the outcome, because council voted not to open a certain section in the cemetery — where a Muslim child is already interred. “The result was bittersweet,” said Thorold City Councillor Tim O’Hare. In a 5 to 4 vote held Tuesday Thorold councillors opened the door for Muslim burials to face Mecca in Lakeview Cemetery, but O’Hare says it’s not enough.