Statement in full by Councillor Allah Ditta about the Muslim cemetery row:

“The Worcester News has published stories in relation to me and my actions at the Perdiswell Muslim Cemetery on 24th August.

I would like to clarify a number of issues raised in that article.
 

I have been involved in assisting in Muslim burials since the 1980’s in Worcester following the death of my own child.
 

I have always sought to help members of my community at this most traumatic and difficult of times.


Over recent years I have been one of the main contacts for the Muslim community in Worcester after the death of a family member.
 

I have been personally involved in over 100 burials at Perdiswell Muslim Cemetery.
 

On this occasion I was approached by a representative of the deceased man’s family to help arrange the funeral.
 

I helped arrange the funeral including preparing the grave in accordance with Islamic tradition.

This is over and above what would be required in a traditional burial and is what the additional £400 cost relates to.
 

This covers the total costs, including all materials.
 

The deceased gentleman’s family representative was well aware that there would be an additional cost with the burial as he had been involved in previous burials.


Approximately a month after the funeral I asked the family representative when payment for the burial would be made.
 

It was at this point that he requested a formal invoice for the work which was provided by Mr Saghir Hamed, Secretary, Worcester Muslim Funeral Services, which works under the auspices of the Worcester Muslim Welfare Association, chaired by Mr Haris Saleem, which are the leaseholders of the cemetery.
 

At the Cemetery on the 24th August I was preparing another grave when a disagreement took place between myself and the family representative over the unpaid bill.
 

In this heated disagreement I now accept that I used inappropriate language for which I have already apologised and would like to do so again.
 

I never intended to cause distress or anguish to the family of the deceased but was trying to make the point that an unpaid bill still needed to be settled.
 

The cemetery would not be able to continue to operate if families did not honour expenses paid in good faith.
 

It has been implied that I was seeking payment myself for the work carried out. This is not the case.
 

I was acting as a representative of the Worcester Muslim Welfare Association.
 

The impression has also been created that this activity is linked in someway to my role as a local councillor.
 

This is not the case.
 

I have been helping with Muslim burials for almost 30 years - long before I was elected as a local representative.
 

It is deeply regrettable that this incident is now being used for political mischief making by a disgraced former Labour councillor in the area.
 

I have never sought to link my work at the cemetery with my political activities and it is wrong of the Labour Party to do so now.
 

Finally, I would like to once again publicly apologise unreservedly for any hurt or distress caused by this incident and assure my community that I will continue to help families at a time of need, whenever requested.”