Sri Lanka continues to maintain its policy of mandatory cremations for those who have died due to COVID-19, deeply distressing the Muslim community whose faith prohibits cremation. The science, the faith, the politics, all of this has been talked about at length by many.
While official data is not available on the number of Muslims being cremated, speaking to families and community leaders it seems over two thirds of those cremated are Muslims. As of today, the official COVID-19 death toll is 330.
Here are the voices of a few of the families who have been subjected to this pain, and the memories they carry of loved ones lost.