Child victims of Bronx fire laid to rest in Millstone
Hundreds of mourners come to area to support Magassas
BY JANE MEGGITT
Staff Writer

MIGUEL JUAREZ staff Men carry the coffins of children who perished in a March 7 house fire in Bronx, N.Y., at the Makbarat as-Salaam cemetery in Millstone Township on Monday.

Route 33 was backed up for miles to the New Jersey Turnpike on Monday afternoon as hundreds of mourners paid their respects to victims of a Bronx, N.Y., fire.

Five young children were laid to rest in the Makbarat as-Salaam cemetery in Millstone, a Muslim cemetery located on Conover Road near Route 33. According to Millstone Township officials, the property has been a cemetery since 1928 and a Muslim cemetery since 1994.

The March 7 fire, which occurred just blocks from Yankee Stadium, devastated members of the Malian immigrant community. The fire has received worldwide attention and outpourings of support for the victims and surviving family members.

Mamadou Soumare lost his wife and three of their children. Their bodies will be returned to Mali for burial.

Mousa Magassa had been away on business when the tragedy occurred. His four sons and a daughter, Bilaly, 1; Djama, 3; Abudubary, 5; Mahamadou, 8; and Bandiougou, 11, were all buried in Millstone in accordance with Muslim beliefs.

PHOTOSBY MIGUEL JUAREZ staff Hundreds of people mourning the loss of the Magassa family children who perished in a Bronx, N.Y., house fire on March 6 arrive in Millstone Township on March 12.

Imam Omar, of the Islamic Cultural Center in New York City, spoke at the funeral and made supplication and prayers for the dead.

"It was a very sad event," Omar said. "The family members were consumed by grief. Everyone was trying to quiet them. To lose most of your family is catastrophic."

Prior to their arrival at the burial grounds, family or other members of the Islam community wash the deceased with clean and scented water in a manner similar to how Muslims make ablutions for prayer. The bodies are then wrapped in sheets of clean white cloth called the kafan. The funeral ceremony for the children took place at a Bronx mosque, also attended by throngs of mourners.

Men carry one of the children who perished in the house fire to his final resting place at the Makbarat as-Salaam cemetery.

The deceased were then transported to the site of the funeral prayers, which are called salat-l-janazah. Buses brought those wishing to attend the burial from New York to the Millstone cemetery.

Abu-namous said there are very few Muslim cemeteries in the area, and the families had a choice of burying their loved ones in either the Millstone cemetery or a cemetery in Long Island, N.Y.

After the deceased were taken to the cemetery for burial, which is called al-dafin, only the men of the community were allowed to accompany the bodies to the graveside.

The Magassa children were buried in small wooden coffins facing Mecca. The community discourages people from erecting tombstones or markers or putting flowers or other mementos on the graves and instead encourages humbly remembering them through prayer.

The Imam said he hopes Allah would enable the families and friends of the deceased to be patient under such circumstances. He said that the family members would not be left alone while observing a three-day mourning period.

Men help pile dirt on the graves of the Magassa children with their bare hands. The Magassa family lost five children in the recent house fire.

Mourning is observed in Islam by increased devotion, through receiving visitors and condolences, and by avoiding decorative clothing and jewelry, according to the About Islam Web site.

"When one dies, everything in this earthly life is left behind, and there are no more opportunities to perform acts of righteousness and faith," according to About Islam.

However, the Prophet Muhammad once said that there are three things that may continue to benefit a person after death: charity given during life that continues to help others; knowledge from which people continue to benefit; and a righteous child who prays for the individual, according to the About Islam Web site.

Mousa Magassa, the father of five children who died in the house fire on March 6, is surrounded by supporters during the funeral service held at the Makbarat as-Salaam cemetery in Millstone on Monday.