The Ministry of Construction and Housing commented today, Saturday, on giving a 15-day deadline to transfer the remains of some buried individuals in Sheikh Marouf Cemetery, due to their graves conflicting with one of the traffic congestion alleviation projects in Baghdad. Ministry spokesman Nabil Al-Saffar stated that "so far, there have been no complaints or objections from citizens regarding the transfer of remains of some buried individuals in Sheikh Marouf Cemetery, and if such reactions arise, the ministry will have procedures and steps, as it does not want any harm to citizens."
Al-Saffar clarified that "the land of the cemetery is state-owned, and there are legal approvals and even religious fatwas to allow the transfer of remains of some buried individuals to areas within the cemetery itself." He added, "The 20 meters from which some remains are to be removed have an impact on the traffic alleviation project. We have plans A and B for all our projects, so we have alternative plans to modify some designs, and we do not want any harm to citizens, especially since the congestion alleviation projects are meant to serve the people, not to harm them."
Earlier, a sign revealed that the Ministry of Construction and Housing had given a deadline until mid this month for the families of some deceased individuals, whose graves fall within an area of 20 meters required for the expansion of the company executing the Talai Bridge project and connecting it to the Baiji road, to relocate the bodies and remains of the deceased. Several objections mixed with shock have been recorded from family members of the deceased and others from the public, with the relatives of one deceased stating that the government has not designated an alternative location to transfer the remains to, and that the issue may be psychologically difficult for the families.
One relative mentioned that approximately a thousand graves will need to be excavated for the purpose of relocating the bodies. However, another family member indicated that the 20 meters is the depth of the excavation within the cemetery, while the extension is hundreds of meters along the cemetery, making it likely that around a thousand graves will be subject to removal and excavation.
