Muslims in upstate NY asked to dig up their cemetery

[ashling]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-reinbach/tiny-upstate-new-york-tow_b_739832.html

A town in upstate New York is trying to force a local Muslim religious community to dig up a small cemetery on its property and never bury anyone there again because it says it's illegal.

"What we would not want is an unauthorized cemetery," says Bob McCarthy, town supervisor of the Delaware County town of Sidney, population 5,993. "We're taking care of a bunch of cemeteries, and they just came in and buried the bodies, and didn't go through...there's no funding there, it's not a standard kind of deal, and it's going to become a liability to the town."

So what steps have the Muslims skipped? "I don't know what the exact law is," he says.

Which is the problem; because whether or not the town government likes it, there are no laws in Sidney -- or New York state, for that matter -- covering cemeteries on private land -- religious cemeteries included. Plus, the town approved the cemetery in 2005.

***

And there's certainly nothing illegal about it as far as the State Troopers are concerned. "We looked into the cemetery and it was determined what they were doing is lawful," says Captain James Barnes of the New York State Police, Troop "C," based in Sidney.

****

[WillParkinson]

1. Well gee, you'd think most people would be happy...

After all, isn't the only good Muslim a dead one?

:sarcasm:

[Hekate]

2. Clearly the Muslim cemetery of Sidney Center is located too close to Ground Zero...

:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[blondeatlast]

3. Who to believe? Oh, deary dear--how on earth would the State Troopers know

the law? :eyes:

Another case of hate hiding behind "concern."

[thereismore]

4. This thing is potentially an even bigger deal than Koran burning in some parts of the world. nt

[foxfeet]

5. Did the town run out of Native American burials to dig up?

:sarcasm:

[Karenina]

6. Ah yes, THEY need to be "sensitive."

Kids, this is some sick shit...

What's Goin' On? :shrug:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzPA-FrVu3I

[baldguy]

7. It's obviously a terrorist plot!

[rucky]

9. Zombie Jihad

[Historic NY]

8. Lots of legal problems here....medical examiner/coroner, board of health, its not going to happen.

[pinboy3niner]

10. McCarthy casts wildly about, struggling to find and latch onto...

...ANY excuse to justify his bias. They "didn't go through...there's no funding there, it's not a standard kind of deal, and it's going to become a liability to the town."

He doesn't like it, but he can't seem to find any valid reason why he shouldn't. I wonder how many other burials on private land he's expressed his outrage about?