Quebec City mosque approves cemetery purchase near Lvis

Members atthe Islamic Cultural Centre's general assembly havevoted to invest $215,000 inthe creation of the Quebec City region's first Muslim cemetery.

MohamedLabidi, vice-president of the Islamic Cultural Centre, says the general assembly chose between two possible locations:The first one, located in the Quebec City suburb of Ste-Foy, came with a price tag of $1 million, while the other inSt-Apolinaire, west ofLvis, was $215,000.

"It would be expensive for the community, that's why we opted for [St-Apolinaire]," explainedLabidi.

The community has been working for years to try to establish a cemetery in the region sofamilies don't have to travel to Laval to bury their loved ones.

Currently there are no dedicated burial grounds for Muslims anywhere outside the greater Montreal region.

After years of lobbying, 3,000 plots in the Laval Cemetery were dedicated specifically for Muslim people in 2015.

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Quebec City offered to help with tax bill

Quebec City MayorRgisLabeaumepromised tohelp find a suitable place in the aftermath of mosque shootingthat killed six worshippers and wounded 19 others onJan. 29.

Of the six men who died in the shooting,threewere buried in Laval and the otherswere returned to their country of origins for burial.

"We are working with them to see what they need. We will help them," Labeaumesaid.

Quebec City offered to help lighten the tax load if the general assembly voted for the Ste-Foy option.

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Now that the assembly has voted to accept the purchase, the actual contracts will be drawn up and the administrative details arranged.

In the meantime, Labidi says "everyone in the community is happy" and that they are hopeful the land will be ready by the end of the year.

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