The plan to create a cemetery on the site of the former Spadaro Airport in East Moriches has taken a new turn, as Ghulam Sarwar, a principal of the nonprofit Long Island Community Cemetery, announced that the burial ground will be open to people of all faiths and denominations—not exclusively Muslims, as initially proposed.
“The cemetery will be inclusive,” Sarwar said. “We welcome individuals of all religious backgrounds. This is a community project, not a religious one.”
The clarification comes amid public opposition against the cemetery plan, which aims to create up to 15,000 graves on a 29-acre site bounded by Montauk Highway and County Road 58. A public hearing originally scheduled for April 10 was postponed after Brookhaven Town officials called for a more detailed environmental evaluation.
Sarwar also confirmed that environmental impact and traffic studies have been completed and submitted to the town. Brookhaven officials have not yet commented on whether the reports address concerns raised by residents, including increased traffic, possible groundwater contamination, and the impact on nearby Little Seatuck Creek.
An online Change.org petition opposing the project has gathered hundreds of signatures. Opponents argue that the cemetery does not serve local needs and would be used by families from the greater New York Metro area, bringing increased traffic and disrupting the rural character of East Moriches. They’ve called for the site to be acquired by Brookhaven Town or Suffolk County for open space preservation or community development.