An owner of a junkyard in Jeddah is under investigation for using an ancient burial ground as part of a factory and a junkyard. In line with the direction of the Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bin Abdullah Aal Al-Sheikh a committee has been formed to probe the authenticity of the allegations raised by some people about encroaching on sanctity of a cemetery in Jeddah. The cemetery, named Adad Al-Baqra, is estimated to be 300 years old and is located in Al-Khomra in southern Jeddah. The committee comprises of representatives from Makkah Governorate, Survey Dept. at Jeddah Mayoralty and Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. The committee listened to the testimonies of the petitioners who allegedly said an investor had built a steel factory on the cemetery and turned a part of it into a junkyard where he piles thousands of tons of scrap he uses for steel processing. The piles of scrap had made it difficult for the committee to determine whether the land on which the factory is built was a cemetery. The case has been adjourned until mid-July when the scrap metal will be removed. The members of the committee also asked the claimants to bring gravediggers to excavate the area covered by the scrap to make sure if graves were present there. The manager of the factory refuted the petitioner's allegations and expressed his readiness to remove the scrap so as to enable the committee to inspect the area. The court had asked the committee to write a comprehensive report including a sketch for the factory and dumping area besides giving the measurements of the graves if they were in order to take all necessary procedures since the Islamic Shariah prohibits desecration of graves. – Al
