Public enraged over secret burial of Boston terrorist

The body of terrorist Tamerlan Tsarnaev was surreptitiously planted in a small Muslim cemetery in Doswell, Virginia. Locals, say they are extremely upset at the secret burial and officials have vowed an investigation.

RICHMOND, VA (Catholic Online) - Just 15 minutes outside of Richmond, in the small community of Doswell, the body of Tamerlan Tsarnaev lies buried in a Muslim cemetery. Nobody was alerted to the pending burial and the public remained uninformed until yesterday.

What to do with Tsarnaev's body has been a difficult issue. Authorities had difficulty even finding a funeral home that would accept his remains. The home that did accept him became the target of public protest for doing so.

Massachusetts state authorities rejected a proposal to bury Tsarnaev in a prison cemetery. This prompted the Worcester police to plead with the public for someone to accept his remains for burial.

Where to bury Tsarnaev has been a difficult issue since as a terrorist none want the dishonor of hosting his body, nor do others wish to be buried beside him. Nonetheless, Tsarnaev now lies in the Al-Barzakh Cemetery, the first Muslim cemetery in central Virginia.

According to reports, Tsarnaev was buried with the help of a Virginia woman who coordinated the burial after hearing how his body remained in a Worchester funeral home for almost a week. Martha Mullen, 48, has been the target of public protest since yesterday when her identity was revealed by the media.

Mullen felt sympathy for the funeral director who was being picketed by angry locals, saying the protests reflected "America at its worst." Now, protesters are targeting her.

Tsarnaev is now buried in an as-yet unmarked grave within the cemetery. Protesters are upset, saying he should have been cremated and his remains returned to his family overseas, not buried on American soil.

Caroline County officials are investigating whether any laws were broken in burying Tsarnaev's body there. They warn that if all legal procedures were followed, then there would be nothing they could do. However, the public may get final say, as people could choose a different cemetery for future services.

Tsarnaev's widow, Katherine Russell, reportedly surrendered her rights to determine his burial site and relinquished custody of his body to his uncle, Ruslan Tsarni. Tsarni is a resident of Maryland and he conducted Muslim burial rites for his nephew.

According to reports in the media, Tsarnaev's parents have accepted the burial of their son and wish to put his death behind them.

Unfortunately, for the hundreds of people maimed by Tsarnaev, moving on won't be so easy.

---

'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'