Funerary Pluralism in France and Britain. Legal, Political and Identity Considerations
In this article I try to shed light on the demands by citizens of immigrant background regarding Muslim burial places in France and Great Britain. I examine the relationship between these demands and the broader funerary legal framework in both countries. Bearing in mind that they are formulated by second and third generation immigrants acting as citizens, I analyze them in relation to national policies for accommodating cultural and religious difference in the two countries. I also look at the ambiguity and ambivalence that mark ongoing debates in the French parliament about Muslim burial places. I contrast this with the absence of controversy in Great Britain, as well as the practical measures that have been implemented in British municipal cemeteries.