Friends and family remember Shafayet Reja as an affectionate young man who stayed up late to write poetry, danced exuberantly at weddings and explored the faiths of his father and mother with an openheartedness that led him to declare on his Facebook page, “I never get tired of learning the new things that life has to offer.”But within hours of his death on Sept. 10 after a car accident, his memory — in fact, his very body — had become the object of a tug-of-war over religious freedom and obligation. It began when his mother, who was raised Hindu, and his father, who is Muslim, decided to have his body cremated in the Hindu tradition, rather than burying him in a shroud, as Islam prescribes.
His parents, Mina and Farhad Reja, say a small group of Muslims who do not understand their approach to religion are trying to intimidate them over the most private of family choices. “This is America,” Mrs. Reja said. “This is a family decision.”
Hindu-Muslim Family’s Choice Of Cremation Arouses Anger
The couple say that people accosted them at their son’s funeral, that an angry crowd threatened to boycott a shopping center they own in Jackson Heights, Queens, and that on Sept. 13, two men they know threatened to bomb and burn down the building.
21 comments:
This is what happens when government doesnt control religion. How DARE those Islam extremists show up at a funeral for a young person and try to tear apart his familys values.
This is the United States of America and people in this country have rights - If you want to live with YOUR countries values - Go back to YOUR F---ing country!!!
Give these Muslims no credibility.
Where were they when other "devoted" Muslims killed and cremated thousands on September 11, many of whom were also Muslims? Some devoted, some not so.
What burial rites did they provide these victims?
It seems that these "devoted" Muslims are really only devoted to ruling the actions of others who are simply trying to live peaceable lives, harming and interfering with no one else.
It seems that these "devoted" Muslims are really only devoted to ruling the actions of others who are simply trying to live peaceable lives, harming and interfering with no one else.
Indeed, well stated.
Seems like a bunch of busybodies from the "religion of peace" have nothing better to do then meddle in someone else's affairs. Don't these people have jobs? Do they have families to go home to at night? Do they have hobbies? Do they have anything else to do other than go to the mosque, get on their knees and "pray" to the phantom spirit? Do they ever even bother reading a book other than the koran?
Remind me again why "diversity is our strength", and why we should continue "importing" these intellectual geniuses into the United States. We have enough people who worship phantom spirits in this country as it is.
Long live atheism!
Lest we forget the Christian right blowing up abortion clinics or starting the crusades and even sending children to fight in one of those crusades.
Don't hate the religion--even if they worship God, Jesus, Allah, Elmo or WallSt. Hate the people that follow them and interpret it for convenience.
Sounds like some folks need to be shipped right home to the "paradise" that they came from.
We all try to be tolerant, but sometimes it backfires. "For the Best lack all conviction, while the worst are filled with passionate intensity" Yeats.
Please don't use this example to beat up on Islam. Read the whole sotry first before commenting.
I have a cousin whose deceased father was cremated by his new wife, against my cousin's wishes.
My cousin now has no grave to visit, no place to mourn her father, because of that insensitive woman.
Oh and by the way, my cousin and I are observant Jews. Our religion also forbids cremation.
If the young man chose Islam against the wishes of his mother, it seems his mother was spiteful in cremating his body.
And what changes the fact that this was a private decision made by his mother and father and these outsiders have no business interfering?
Also, if your mother is a Jew, you are one, too. Following that retarded logic, he is Hindu.
"I have a cousin whose deceased father was cremated by his new wife, against my cousin's wishes."
I think the wife would have more say in that matter than his kid. That's how next of kin works. Sorry. Should have left clear instructions on what to do in the event of his death.
Please don't use this example to beat up on Islam.
Yes, I suppose you're right. After all, there are plenty of other examples of members of "the religion of peace" behaving badly for us to choose from.
Honor killings, suicide bombings, terrorism, stonings/hangings of adulterers, stonings/hangings of homosexuals, etc. etc.
Pick a card, any card!
These are the people who kill THEIR female relatives for showing the head on their hair. SAVAGES -
GO back and live in your sun soaked treeless environment. It must be the heat that makes them mental.
The have prehistoric family values.
"Oh and by the way, my cousin and I are observant Jews. Our religion also forbids cremation."
You are certainly not suggesting that it was Jews who flew airplanes into building, killing thousands, and being unconcerned with the fact that they were cremated no matter their religion or wishes?
I am aware of this "next-of-kin" legality, but can't they be sensitive to their deceased son's religion? As a result of the cremation, the son's Muslim relatives have on place to mourn or bury the body.
As for my cousin, why should the insensitive stepmom have more say about the funeral than the daughter? The stepmom does not share the fathr's DNA.
You guys have no fucking clue about what you are talking about. Don't assume shit about what happened if you don't know what happened. This demonstration was NOT about religion...AT ALL. This was about choice, HIS CHOICE about how he wanted his final rites to be. Had he considered himself Hindu, we would have been there to helped carry his body to the cremation. Had he been muslim but he wanted to be cremated anyway, we would have STILL been there for the cremation. I am speaking as a STAUNCH HINDU as someone who knew him and was close to him, and he considered himself muslim and his WISH was to be buried AS A MUSLIM. Perhaps the question you should be asking is why is she, the MOTHER, went against her sons WISHES, when she was well aware of what he wanted.
How would you know how he wanted to be buried? It's not like young people discuss these things with their friends at McDonald's.
If he was that adamant about how he wanted to be buried, he should have left instructions in writing with a proxy. As he was a young person, I doubt he even gave it much thought. Therefore, the burden rests with the parents as he wasn't married. Case closed.
"Lest we forget the Christian right blowing up abortion clinics or starting the crusades and even sending children to fight in one of those crusades"
The Crusades took place ten centuries ago and a few crazy clinic bombers don't add up to a mass terroist organization that breeds.
Some of these comments are really biased. And if anything, many of YOU are being extremist in your beliefs. This was a group of people who were Muslims and do not represent all Muslims.
So stop it. Stop being so ignorant. It's reasonable to be outraged by this incident but don't go pointing at a whole religion and blaming it.
AND YES, they DO read other books. And they don't pray all day. And what the freak is a phantom spirit?
"As for my cousin, why should the insensitive stepmom have more say about the funeral than the daughter? The stepmom does not share the fathr's DNA."
WTF? Unless you are an inbred, your mother does not share your father's DNA.
BTW, muslims allow first cousins to get married. And an uncle can marry his niece. Now wonder those inbreds are screwed up!
hmmmm,i'm a muslim..i'm not married to my cousin,no one i know is married to an uncle and all of my family and friends who are muslims are not fanatics,extremists or terroists.There are good people and bad people in this world. at the end of the day we humans are the best of the Almighty's creations and we need to respect each other no matter what our colour or religion is (Prophet Muhammads last sermon)..."ALL mankind is from Adam and Eve,an Arab has no superiority over a non Arab nor a non Arab has any superiority over a Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action.I know you have to earn respect and yes there are many evil people out there who claim to be religious but they do not represent me or any other person who is a Muslim or non Muslim. My best friend is not a Muslim and we have been mates since we were at high school,also i have many friends who are Hindu,Sikh,Christian,catholic and Jewish.And the same goes for my kiddies... they are taught to respect all and to not behave in a narrow minded manner towards any one.
Re:
"My best friend is not a Muslim and we have been mates since we were at high school,also i have many friends who are Hindu,Sikh,Christian,catholic and Jewish.And the same goes for my kiddies... they are taught to respect all and to not behave in a narrow minded manner towards any one."
That was in Muhammad's last sermon too?
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