British Hindus and Sikhs May Sue To Build Funeral Pyre

In Newcastle, England, the Anglo-Asian Friendship Society is considering bringing a test case on behalf of Hindus and Sikhs who would like to build a funeral pyre so that bodies could be cremated in accordance with religious law. Open-air cremations have been banned since 1930, but now, according to yesterday's Hindustan Times, the group is considering a challenge in the High Court in London relying on Article 9 of the European Convention of Human Rights, which is incorporated into British Law by the Human Rights Act of 1998. The law protects "freedom of thought, conscience and religion".