NCJ Number
139624
Journal
Police Journal Volume: 65 Issue: 4 Dated: (October-December 1992) Pages: 343-347
Date Published
1992
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Many Britons follow Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, or Sikh religious practices which extend to funeral rituals.
Abstract
The European and Chinese tradition of Buddhism, prevalent among British adherents, views the funeral as a rite of passage, led by a monk. While British Buddhists usually prefer burial, cremations are performed frequently. During the service, congregants are asked to recite the five Buddhist precepts of belief and behavior. British Hindus, who are mostly Indian, practice cremation; at their funeral services, they read prayers from different Hindu religious books focusing on the cycles of life and the peaceful state sought by the soul of the deceased. The formal mourning period lasts between 2 to 4 weeks. Muslims in Britain are predominantly Asian immigrants. Embalming and post mortems are avoided, and the body is washed by a family member and dressed in a shroud. The deceased is positioned in the grave to face Mecca. Judaism forbids embalming and cremation; burial is to take place within 3 days of death. The period of mourning is broken down into the first 7 days, the first 30 days, and, for parents, the first year. When a Sikh dies, the body is dressed in white garments to ensure the five Sikh symbols are observed; funerals are always cremations.