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| A first step for private cemeteries in Geneva
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The Swiss-Jewish community of Geneva has been given initial permission to open its own private cemeteries for the first time.
The historic decision, adopted by the Commission of the communal, regional and international affairs of the canton of Geneva, has finally brought the issue of private and religious cemeteries on Geneva’s soil to the forefront.
For more than 100 years it has been illegal for private or religious cemeteries to be built in the Swiss capital.
However, the plans are yet to be fully ratified by the Great Council of the state of Geneva and face opposition from within the political echelons.
Significant step
Liberal deputy Pierre Weiss, who is a member of the Commission, stressed the significance of the decision.
"For a long time, Geneva has avoided the question [of religious cemeteries] by using hypocritical solutions such as the Jewish cemetery of Veyrier, whose graves are on the French soil, or the Moslem square of Petit-Saconnex, built there out of any legal disposition but tolerated by the authorities for now.
According to Weiss’spokesman of the majority "it is ethically unacceptable to force some of our citizens to bury their dead outside of Geneva. It is the simple respect to the religious convictions of our community."
Although the debate over the issue of religious burial has been bubbling under the surface for a number of years, it really re-appeared two years ago.
Following protestations from the Jewish and Moslem communities, the Council of State of Geneva decided to approach the Parliament concerning a project of law.
Its text proposes to allow the installation of private religious cemeteries in the canton "in order to respect the requirements which are part of the federal Constitution in regard to religious freedom" while maintaining these new places of burial under the monitoring of the authorities.
The situation dates back to an 1876 law passed by the canton of Geneva which prohibits private cemeteries and requires that burials take place without distinction of religion.
For this reason, the Israelite cemetery of Geneva is on French soil and the Moslem confessionalist square in Petit-Saconnex, almost full today, was only possible due to the tolerance of the authorities.
The Jewish communities of Geneva support the modification of the law. “The Jewish communities in Geneva, including the liberal one, are supporting the city’s project to create confessional cemeteries,” Sabine Simkhovitch-Dreyfus, the community’s chairwoman told EJP.
Geneva is the only Swiss canton which still prohibits the Jewish and Moslem communities to bury their deaths according to their rites.
Political opposition
Laurent Moutinot, chief of the Geneva department of the institutions, which deals with the bureaucracy between the different commissions and the Parliament, greeted "the intelligent solution found by the commission" and found himself persuaded that "the Parliament will be able to find solutions without giving place to a painful debate".
However, some political leaders have not shared his enthusiasm.
The Socialists and the Radicals in particular will propose each of them a report of the minority. Socialist politician Christian Brunier said: "We live in the same community, it is absurd to separate us in death. This does not exclude the distinct religious sectors in our public cemeteries."
And the Radical Michel Ducret added: "By introducing religious sectors into the public and private cemeteries, we open the door to what is called here ’communautarisme’, an attitude of giving emphasis to issues related to ethnic communities.
Our society has the duty to bring its members together and not to divide them on a religious basis."
A heated Parliament debate over the issue is likely to take place in May or June.
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