Homer Glen, IL

40-acre Muslim cemetery with a maximum of 24,000 graves (Muslim Ummah Cemetery)

In 2020, the Orland Park Prayer Center (OPPC), located about 40 minutes outside Chicago, purchased a 40-acre plot of land to construct the Muslim Ummah Cemetery in Homer Glen, IL. The community of nearly 30,000 Muslims, who are predominantly of Palestinian descent, had previously buried its members in a section of a mostly Christian cemetery until it ran out of space (Abdelaziz, 2024, Mar 15). Kifah Mustapha, the imam at OPPC, applied for the necessary permits and licenses to purchase and develop the land, raised enough money to construct the cemetery, and hired a law firm to represent the group’s interests (ibid.).

On April 27, 2023, a petition opposing the cemetery's construction began, gathering over 1,500 signatures (Abdelaziz, 2024, Mar 15). Residents listed numerous concerns, including a lack of transparency, groundwater contamination, increased traffic, and environmental protection. More than 200 people, mostly critics of the proposed cemetery, attended a town hall in May to voice their opposition (ibid.). However, neither the county nor the state’s public health agencies found that the cemetery would create a credible public health concern. In response to the community opposition, Mustapha stated that “Every community had its own struggle, from the Irish to the Jewish community, to the Black and Latino community, so Muslims are no exception. But this goes against what this country is all about. We have the Constitution and laws that protect the rights of a citizen as an individual or as a community” (ibid.).

Also in May, the Will County Land Use Committee and Planning and Zoning Commission began to research cemetery ordinances, as cemeteries had not been developed in unincorporated areas of Will County in more than two decades (Mullins, 2023, Aug 20). OPPC filed a permit on June 29 requesting that the Will County Land Use Department approve its use of the remaining 35 acres of the property, in addition to the 5 acres it had been granted initially (Kukulka, 2023, Jul 13). Construction of an access road leading to the Muslim Ummah Cemetery began in July (ibid.). On August 17, the Will County Board unanimously voted to require a special-use permit for cemetery development to “ensure their location minimizes any negative land use on neighbors” (Mullins, 2023, Aug 20). The ordinance change did not retroactively apply to the Muslim Ummah Cemetery, which had already received a permit to construct its cemetery, as well as road work, stormwater management, fencing, and landscaping (ibid.).

The Muslim Ummah Cemetery was successfully built and has been fully operational since September 2023. More than two dozen burials have taken place, and there is enough space to accommodate 24,000 graves. Additionally, OPPC plans to expand its cemetery to include a funeral service facility that can transport, wash, and shroud bodies (Abdelaziz, 2024, Mar 15). Doing so would require a zoning change and approval by the Will County Board.

References

• Abdelaziz, R. (2024, March 15). They Desperately Wanted To Build A Cemetery. Then Came The Backlash. Huffington Post. Web.
• Kukulka, A. (2023, July 13). Will County officials say county action won’t stop construction for eco-friendly cemetery. Chicago Tribune. Web.
• Mullins, M. (2023, August 20). Special-use permit to be required for cemeteries. Daily Southtown. Available through NewsBank.