Sunday July 2, 2023
Mogadishu (HOL) — Bereaved families are being driven to exhumation at the Moalim Noor cemetery on the outskirts of Mogadishu amid conflicts over land rights and instances of grave vandalism by unknown individuals.
In a sorrowful development, relatives are having to unearth bodies, some interred as far back as half a century, to satisfy the demands of alleged new landowners and in response to night-time tomb desecrations in the Teredisho district. The contentious scenario has evoked deep concerns about societal values and human empathy.
Founded by Sheikh Moalim Nur 50 years ago, the Moalim Noor cemetery is the final resting place for thousands of Somalis. However, in 2022, the graveyard came under dispute when unidentified claimants began asserting ownership rights over the land.
Ifrah Ahmed, a local resident with family interred at the cemetery, expressed her distress. "Many individuals, whose relatives were laid to rest here only a few years prior, now have to return," she said. "The alleged new owners are demanding their land back. Seeing grieving relatives forced to disinter and relocate their loved ones raises questions about the state of our collective humanity. Why isn't anyone speaking up or intervening?"
However, the descendants of Sheikh Moalim Nur have staunchly maintained their inherited rights to the land, pushing back against these claims. They argue that their father bequeathed the land, and they have no intention of surrendering it.
"We, the children of Moalim Nur, have not contemplated returning this land. We haven't even assessed its worth, let alone thought of abandoning our father's legacy, which we consider a gift," stated one of Sheikh Macalin Nur's offspring.
In addition, they adamantly denied involvement in the graves' desecration and pledged that the culprits, once found, will be held accountable in court. As of now, the incidents remain under investigation, with no known suspects.