newsPublished on 28.05.2025
Weinfelden rejects the establishment of a Muslim burial ground
On 18 May 2025, the town of Weinfelden in Thurgau rejected the construction of a Muslim burial ground. Plans had been made for 70 graves facing Mecca. However, the eternal rest of the grave practised in the Muslim faith was not included - the graves would have been cancelled after 20 to 25 years like the others. In addition, the graves would not have been reserved exclusively for Muslim people, but non-religious people or members of other religions could also have been buried there.
In the city parliament, the new cemetery regulations, in which the Muslim burial ground had been planned, were approved by 24 votes to 4. The EDU then launched a referendum with the support of the SVP. This was because the wording ‘burial according to Islamic tradition’ violated the religious neutrality of the state. Burials are a state task and have nothing to do with religion. Furthermore, the burial ground would hinder integration, as the separation between Muslims and non-Muslims would lead to social division.
In the run-up to the vote, supporters of the new regulations countered that the naming of a religiously influenced type of burial was protected by religious freedom and therefore did not violate the state's neutrality requirement. Furthermore, there are hardly any areas where religion plays a greater role than in the funeral sector.
The decision was a close 52% to 48% - 131 votes made the difference. The turnout was 54%.