Iftar reception sheds light on the importance of funeral culture

The city of Offenbach am Main hosted its annual Iftar reception in February, which this year focused on a particularly sensitive and existential topic. It was about funeral culture in a diverse urban society. Numerous guests from politics, society and the religious communities gathered in the social room of the town hall under the direction of Martin Wilhelm, Head of Integration. Among the guests were Waltraud Schäfer, Managing Director of the Foreigners' Advisory Council and the City Council Office, and Pastor Andreas Puckel from St. Franziskus, who attended the reception for the last time this year. Together they broke the fast and promoted intercultural dialog.

In his welcoming speech, Martin Wilhelm, Head of Integration, emphasized the symbolic significance of the venue: "This evening is deliberately taking place here in our social space in the town hall. It is a place that is also designed as an open platform for encounters, exchanges and the promotion of community togetherness in Offenbach." Wilhelm emphasized the diversity of Offenbach, where people from over 150 nations have found a home. "Our diversity is our greatest strength," said Wilhelm, who was able to accompany the iftar reception for the fourth time in his role. He emphasized that the city of Offenbach has been offering special Muslim cemeteries that comply with religious requirements since 2000: "This not only shows our recognition of Offenbach's religious and cultural diversity, but also our practical action and our deep understanding that every person in our city can say goodbye with dignity and in accordance with their beliefs."

The keynote speaker of the evening was Gabriele Schreiber, head of the municipal cemeteries of the Eigenbetrieb Stadt Offenbach (ESO), who gave deep insights into the Islamic burial culture in Offenbach. Schreiber quoted the proverb "Home is where you know the graves of your ancestors" and linked it to the reality of Offenbach: "On that day (September 2, 1999), the first Muslim burial took place in our New Cemetery. Since that moment, we have laid 601 people to rest here in Offenbach according to the Islamic rite." She emphasized the emotional and social significance of this option: "By burying their loved ones here, families are making the greatest promise a person can make to our city: The promise to stay here forever."

Schreiber praised the "excellent cooperation" with the Commissioner for Foreigners, Abdelkader Rafoud, which is characterized by mutual appreciation and friendly cooperation. As a concrete result of this cooperation, she announced a new, modern room for ritual ablutions as part of the current renovation of the mourning hall, which should take into account the importance of this sacred act.

At the same time, Schreiber addressed the future challenges: "In the first two cemeteries, it is already only possible to make additional burials in graves that have already been purchased. And we have to face up to the reality that the third field could also be fully occupied in around one to two years' time." However, she was confident that with the proven spirit of cooperation and the trusting dialog with Abdelkader Rafoud, solutions could also be found here that do justice to the dignity of the deceased and the needs of the living, taking into account regional developments and in exchange with other municipalities in the Rhine-Main region.

The Iftar reception ended with a communal breaking of the fast and offered participants the opportunity to continue the intercultural exchange in a relaxed atmosphere. The city of Offenbach once again reaffirmed its commitment to integration, diversity and respectful coexistence among all citizens.

Background:

With over 140,000 inhabitants, Offenbach is one of the largest cities in Hesse and is known for its cultural diversity and dynamic development. The city is actively committed to integration and respectful coexistence for all citizens.