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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Human remains in a century-old graveyard were uncovered during construction work in Zakho’s Rikava village on Friday.
“The first section of the site excavated was the Lelin graveyard. As work continued, part of the ground collapsed, exposing additional remains,” Sheikh Mamdouh Sheikh Jabar, head of the Islamic Scholars Union in Zakho, told Rudaw on Friday.
Mortuary staff are moving the remains to another graveyard.
Jamal Abdulkarim, a corpse washer, said he was asked to come and help.
“We have all come here and brought coffins with us. We put each person's remains in coffins and tied them. We will take them to the Kharaba graveyard to bury them,” he said.
Part of the graveyard was covered by rubble after years of construction in the area
Akram Alani, head of the Runahi Foundation for Washing the Dead, said three teams were involved in the effort. One team worked to exhume the remains, another prepared and washed the bodies, and a third began digging graves at the Kharaba Kani cemetery. He said the reburials were expected to be completed by evening.
According to the Islamic scholar Jabar, Islamic law permits the relocation of graves in certain circumstances.
“There are differing views in Sharia - some say graves can be moved after 30 years, others after 50 - but relocation is allowed when public interest projects affect cemetery land,” he said.
Work on the site has been suspended.
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