Egypt’s General Attorney launches investigation into COVID-19 patient’s burial

CAIRO – 11 APRIL 2020: The General Attorney ordered Saturday to launch an investigation on the incident of citizens in Dakahlia governorate attempting to prevent the burial of a doctor who died battling the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).

The residents of Shubra al-Bahw village, in Dakahlia [ Egypt’s Delta], gathered earlier today to protest the burial of a female doctor (64) who died of Coronavirus as they feared of infection with the virus if she was buried at the village cemeteries.

The security forces dispersed the locals protesting the burial and arrested 22 of them.
In a bid to end the controversy over the refusal of burying the deceased COVID-19 patients by some villagers in Egypt, Grand Mufti of Egypt Shawqi Allam issued a fatwa (Islamic decision) prohibiting this act.

“It is impermissible for anyone to deprive any human of this divine right of burial,” the Fatwa says, adding that bullying against the COVID-19 patients is religiously forbidden.

The Fatwa also prohibited the gatherings that could be staged by the relatives of the deceased people, Allam said.

“The demagogic method of objection to the burial of coronavirus martyrs is religiously rejected,” Allam said, adding that those who died from the coronavirus are considered “martyrs.” He called upon accelerating the burial of the victims because it is their right.