Controversy Surrounds England’s Largest Proposed Muslim Cemetery

Controversy Surrounds England’s Largest Proposed Muslim Cemetery
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Plans to construct what would become England’s largest Islamic cemetery, the “Issa Memorial Garden,” are facing renewed controversy following proposals to change the land use to a protected natural area, IQNA reported citing the Daily Mail.

The project, backed by brothers Zubair and Mohsin Issa of the Issa Charitable Foundation, would span 84 hectares west of Blackburn, Lancashire, with capacity for approximately 35,000 burial plots — over three times larger than the UK’s current largest Islamic cemetery, the Garden of Peace in London. Facilities are planned to include a prayer room, mortuary washing area, administrative building, ablution spaces, reflection areas, and 663 parking spaces.

The Issa Foundation emphasizes that the initiative addresses an urgent need for Muslim burial sites, especially highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic, when existing cemeteries in northwest England reached critical capacity.

Critics argue that converting the site into an environmental project could obstruct development and challenge Muslims’ right to dignified burials. The Issa brothers reject these suggestions as attempts to delay or block the cemetery, framing it as a matter of religious freedom.

Supporters stress that delaying or preventing the project risks denying Muslim communities a fundamental right guaranteed under British law.