Uncertainty looms over proposed Islamic cemetery in Eastern Switzerland
Wheinfelden villagers will vote on whether to approve plans for Islamic cemetery, leaving local Muslims in uncertainty
WEINFELDEN, Switzerland (MNTV) – The fate of a dedicated Islamic cemetery for nearly 1000 Muslims in Weinfelden, a village in Eastern Switzerland now depends on the results of a local referendum.
The village falls under the regional Thurgau administration.
In late December 2024, the Thurgau parliament passed the cemetery proposal with 24 votes in favor and just two against.
Notably, even the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP) did not oppose the plan at that time.
In an interview with news magazine Tempo, Adem Kurovic, Secretary General of the Dachverband Islamischer Gemeinden der Ostschweiz und des Fürstentums Liechtenstein (DIGO), an Islamic organization in Thurgau, expressed feeling less confident about the upcoming referendum.
The proposal is now facing resistance in a referendum set for May 18, 2025, after 400 local residents gathered signatures in just three days to initiate the vote. They were organized by local politician Lukas Madoerin.
The Swiss political system enables citizens to contest government or organizational proposals by gathering signatures.
This opposition is unexpected, considering that other Swiss cantons, such as Bern, have had Islamic cemeteries for years without any problems.
In fact, at least 12 other cantons in Switzerland already have these cemeteries, including Bremgarten, where an Islamic cemetery has been in operation for over two decades.
Muslim community concerns
The proposed cemetery would be situated next to the current public cemetery and would accommodate 70 graves.
As there are no Islamic cemeteries in Thurgau, local Muslims currently have to bury their deceased in nearby cantons such as Winterthur and Zurich.
Although Wheinfelden’s population is primarily Catholic, Muslims in Thurgau have already made concessions, including agreeing to use wooden coffins instead of traditional shroud burials.
According to Kurovic, the main request is for the cemetery to be permanent, with the graves facing the qibla, the direction of Mecca. They are not rigid in their demands as long as the cemetery remains in place.
With Muslims representing only about 10 percent of Wheinfelden’s population, Kurovic voiced concerns to Tempo that the referendum might not pass.
Switzerland, which has a Muslim population of around 400,000, has previously witnessed resistance to Islamic practices, such as the 2009 referendum rejecting minaret construction and the 2021 ban on burqas.
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