CPH shooter gets Muslim burial

Omar El-Hussein, 22, the alleged perpetrator of last weekend’s terror attacks, was buried in an unmarked grave in the Muslim cemetery in Brøndby on the outskirts of Copenhagen Friday, reports seven59.dk. This was despite objections from the Islamic group that owns it.

The funeral was attended by over 600 people, mostly young Muslims in hooded jackets who hid their faces.

Ahmet Deniz, head of the Islamic Burial Fund’s support group, expressed concerns before the ceremony about the burial.

Drawing crowds

He told Jyllands-Posten that the group had considered denying a request by El-Hussein’s parents to have him buried in their cemetery, but that its rules did not allow for it. He added:

“My concern was over extremist attitudes and actions on both sides. Both from his friends and from young Danish people who perhaps could also riot later.”

An attendee told Jyllands-Posten about the ceremony: “There were a lot of young people that you don’t normally see there… because they knew Omar. Some of them were gang members. They are my brothers too because they believe in Allah and the Prophet Mohammed, but their lifestyle doesn’t have a lot to do with Islam.”

Support for the Family

A handful of those who were there he recognised as members of the Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir, but there were also many “normal Muslims” the man said. “A Muslim cannot be denied a funeral. God will judge him.”

Ahead of the funeral Copenhagen Police urged anyone attending to ‘show appropriate respect’ while Kasem Said Ahmad, who conducted the burial ceremony, rejected suggestions that a large turnout at the funeral would be a sign of support for the alleged killer.

He said: “It is support for the family, not for him. I do not think that anyone is coming to pay homage to him.”

After the burial, controversial Salafist Adnan Avdic – who had previously called El-Hussein a ‘hero’ – posed for pictures at the plot.

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