For the Birth of The First Islamic Cemetery in Rome

Tragliatella, Fiumicino. ROME – 6 September 2020

In Italy, although the number of Muslims has now reached 2.6 million (105,000 official residents from Bangladesh), it still does not have Islamic cemeteries.

Rome has about 120,000 Muslims, but the capital has just a part of the Prima Porta cemetery for the Islamic burial.

For this reason, the Dhuumcatu Onlus association, in collaboration with other Bangladeshi associations in Rome, has promoted the project for an Islamic Cemetery – called “Darussalam” – which would be built on the farm land in the hamlet of Tragliatella, in Fiumicino, on the border of Rome.

“We decided to buy this land and give it to the Municipality on condition that it approves the Cemetery project, so as not to burden the public coffers we started a fundraiser to find the 16 million needed:

8.5 million for the cost of the land plus VAT and miscellaneous expenses;

1.5 million for the project and the office in Rome;

6 million to complete the work (Cemetery, Road, Light, Water, Mortuary, caretaker's lodging, parking...).

In our opinion, in Italy there is a need for a cemetery for Muslims, especially for the new generations of foreigners. We first generation immigrants preferred to have our bodies returned to the country of origin, but now times are changing and often the 2nd and 3rd generation do not authorize the transfer of the bodies of their loved ones out of Italy. Our children and grandchildren were born and raised here and, those over 60, may no longer have relatives who can receive the body and take care of the funeral.”

So writes Bachcu, head of the Dhuumcatu Onlus association that promoted the fundraising and subscription campaign for “Greater Dhaka”.

The various souls of the Bangladeshi community traveled with six buses from different areas of Rome on Sunday 6 September: about 400 people spent the day on the farm, praying and having lunch together.

Then the children challenged each other in knowing the Koran, reciting the suras, and then winning the prizes and plaques from the leaders of the various associations.

A day spent in nature, cultivating the dream of the first place capable of giving rest in a religious way and, above all, that can then welcome the visits of relatives, without having to wait for returns to their own country, which often take years for those who work in Italy.