Lebanese Muslim Association calls for fairer funeral rules after clash with police at Rookwood Cemetery

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The organization is now seeking urgent meetings with NSW Health, police and Rookwood Cemetery, saying officers failed to apply the discretion available to them.

He wants the government to lift the 10-person limit for funerals held outdoors and for the removal of the five-kilometre travel limit.

“There is something seriously wrong with the way they are treating the communities in South West Sydney,” Ms Karra-Hassan said.

“Distrust of the police and the government is at an all-time high. People feel like they’re being singled out unfairly, and I think that will have a lasting impact that will ultimately hurt us all.

“There is a perception that you have to be wealthy or belong to a wealthy community to be treated with respect or humanity.”

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Samier Dandan, president of the Lebanese Muslim Association, said people at the cemetery were “not sunbathing without a mask on the sand”.

“They were observing social distancing and wearing masks while burying their loved ones,” he said. “If our Minister of Health said being outdoors is the best place to go for beachgoers, then why not an outdoor funeral.”

Under current NSW lockdown rules, only 10 people are allowed to attend a funeral, whether indoors or outdoors.

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