The number of Islamic funeral companies in the Netherlands has risen from 10 to 17 since the coronavirus pandemic, according to their umbrella organisation BIUN.

In addition, there is growing interest in learning about key aspects of Islamic funeral rituals, such as the washing of the deceased, and courses run by funeral homes are soaring in popularity, broadcaster NOS reported. Washing the dead is a task carried out by direct family members.

Young Muslims, said Siham Qoubaa of funeral firm Al Qadr, are much more open to talking about death because they are so often confronted with it via social media and via death notices. 

In addition, during the pandemic, when family members could not be repatriated to Morocco, the number of Islamic funerals in the Netherlands grew.

The biggest Islamic burial ground in western Europe opened near Arnhem this summer. Dutch graves are usually cleared after a fixed number of years but Islamic graves are left in perpetuity and so need more available land.