West Pennsboro Township, PA
Description
Creator
Year
Proposed Project
Outcome
Narrative
Carlisle, Pennsylvania, is home to around eighty Bosnian families who immigrated there after the end of the 1995 Bosnian War and formed the Bosniak Islamic Cultural Center, which in November 2014 applied to build a cemetery in Dickinson Township. However, the proposal was denied, as the township’s zoning did not specify that cemeteries were permitted, and there were concerns about the landlocked nature of the property and its proximity to residential properties (Walmer, 2015, Mar 23). In 2015, the Bosniak Islamic Cultural Center requested the construction of their cemetery at a different site in West Pennsboro Township. The zoning of the property was agricultural and allowed for cemetery use. In February 2015, despite objections from West Pennsboro Township citizens, the township zoning board recommended the Board of Supervisors approve the Bosniak Islamic Cultural Center’s eighty-plot cemetery. However, the township’s Board of Supervisors rejected the application in March 2015, citing concerns over groundwater contamination.
Expressing public opposition, West Pennsboro Township residents said the cemetery would “disturb their quality of life,” citing concerns about groundwater contamination and a decline in property value (DeKok, 2015, Mar 24). A resident called the building of the cemetery a “slap in the face” to veterans, further reinforcing the idea that Islam is seen as un-American (Walmer, 2015, Mar 23). Around 120 residents came to the township hall to protest the building of the Islamic cemetery (ibid.). A geologist testifying for the Bosniak community stated that Islamic burials would not impact nearby water wells. Moreover, the attorney for the group also emphasized that the burial practice did not violate state law, especially since the center had agreed to bury bodies five feet deep. The Township Board Chairman, Donald Agar, claimed that the proposed site would not be appropriate for a cemetery of any faith (DeKok, 2015, Mar 24). The head of the Bosniak Islamic Cultural Center of Carlisle, Alija Sejmenovi, told journalists he would appeal the township supervisor’s decision (ibid.).
In April 2015, the Bosniak Islamic Cultural Center appealed the Board of Supervisors' decision, stating that the application's denial had not been evidence-based and that the board had overstepped its position. In May 2015, Judge Kevin Hess finally overturned the rejection and approved the group's cemetery development (Vaughn, 2016, May 4). Since then, there has been little information on any progress with the cemetery project. The case did not receive extensive coverage from media outlets. However, it was mentioned in several articles discussing the spread of Islamophobic backlash of Muslim burials (e.g., Lavoie, 2016, Apr 25). Most media coverage of the case was negative, with news outlets describing the Islamophobic actions of the township supervisors and city residents. Regarding the larger public response, Marian Kulp, a resident, wrote a letter calling for peace and freedom of religion (Kulp, 2015, Apr 7).
References
- DeKok, D. (2015, March 24). Pennsylvania township nixes proposed Islamic cemetery, appeal likely. Reuters. Web.
- Kulp, M. E. (2015, April 7). Everyone has right to proper burial [Letter to Editor]. The Sentinel (Carlisle, PA). Available from NewsBank.
- Lavoie, D. (2016, April 25). Backlash greets plans for Muslim cemeteries around the US. Associated Press. Web.
- Vaughn, J. (2016, May 4). Ask/Answered: Fate of Islamic cemetery. The Sentinel (Carlisle, PA). Available from NewsBank.
- Walmer, D. (2015, March 23). West Pennsboro Township officials vote down Bosniak Cemetery. The Sentinel. Available from NewsBank.