The cremation or burial of people who die from the COVID-19 virus should be determined not by religious beliefs but by health-recommended safety practices, Asgiriya Chapter Deputy Registrar, Ven. Naranpanawe Ananda Thera said yesterday.
Speaking to journalists he said that if burying the body of a deceased person is a threat to the living, the body should be cremated leaving aside religious recommendations and it should not be questioned on the basis of religion, be it Buddhist, Islamic or Hindu. “As a country, we are in a crisis at the moment and it would be detrimental to the country if anyone tries to create racial and religious divisions at a time when we all need to work together to overcome it,” he said.
He said that the corona virus spreads from body to body irrespective of race, religion or any other affiliation and that people die without any classification.
He also stressed that creating divisions on the issue will pave way for unnecessary problems.
He said as the health sector has made a number of recommendations to prevent the spread of the virus the public should not act on their own discretion but should follow those recommendations to the letter.
