Hazelwood mosque seeks permission to build its own cemetery in Spanish Lake

A mosque in Hazelwood wants to build its own cemetery to accommodate the needs of its growing membership.

Dar AlJalal currently buries its members at the nondenominational Laurel Hill cemetery. But it now has more than 1,700 members, up from 500 in 2011, and is running out of space for new plots.

The mosque first began looking for land to build its own cemetery in 2016, said Tony Algam, who represented Dar AlJalal at a recent public hearing of the St. Louis County Planning Commission. It’s under contract for a five-acre plot of land in Spanish Lake, enough to hold about 5,000 graves.

“The cemetery will serve our community for generations by ensuring a respectful resting place for the future,” Algam said. “Establishing a new cemetery is vital for meeting our community’s long-term needs.”

There is one other Islamic cemetery in unincorporated south St. Louis County, but it is more than 20 miles from Dar AlJalal. Other nondenominational cemeteries will accept Muslim burials, but “our Islamic community requires a cemetery that aligns with our religious laws and customs,” Algam said.

The land backs up to the Hidden Lakes subdivision, where Welton Davey has lived for nearly 30 years. He told the planning commission he was worried about the impact of the cemetery on the value of his house.