By Iqbal Khan

There has been a tragic incident at Carpenders Park Cemetery, a place of sacred rest for both Christian and Muslim communities, where peace once transcended the boundaries of faith. For many of us who have loved and buried our dear ones there, the pain runs deep. For me, Carpenders Park is more than a cemetery. It is where my beloved 24-year-old daughter Baraka Khan chose to be her resting place once she returned to her Creator.

Baraka was an exceptionally gifted soul. In 2013, at just 21 years of age, she was diagnosed with bilateral stage 3 small-cell lung cancer. A bright and beloved Emmanuel College, Cambridge graduate, she was told she had just three to six months to live. In the face of this crushing prognosis, Baraka responded with grace and clarity, leaving even her doctors in awe. She began to bring order to her affairs, not with fear but foresight.

One afternoon, he asked, “Dad, can you help me find some real estate in the UK?” I assumed she meant a flat in London. But she smiled, almost mischievously, and said, “No, Baba… I mean a much more long-term real estate.”

Baraka had begun researching cemeteries. When I explained the difference between Muslim-only burial grounds and multi-faith cemeteries, she paused, reflected, and said something I would never forget, “If Allah [God] wanted me to be buried in a Muslim-only cemetery, I would have been born in an Islamic country. I’ve lived my whole life with friends of all faiths. Why should death separate what life joined together?”

She chose Carpenders Park, a place close to our home that reflected her British identity and Muslim faith. When I showed her a map of the available plots, she chose the one closest to the footpath. I asked her, “Why this one?”. With a twinkle in her eye, she said, “So that when my friends come to visit me, their shoes won’t get muddy.”

Baraka designed her tombstone. She saw my tears and gently reassured me, “Maybe I’ll never need it, Dad. Maybe I’ll outlive all of you. But if not, let’s just be prepared.” In the end, Baraka lived another 2 years, 8 months, and 22 days, far beyond her given time. She lived with courage, beauty, and faith and returned to her Lord at peace with her journey.

As a Muslim father, every time I enter Carpenders Park, I read a prayer, not only for the Muslims buried there but also for our Christian neighbours and friends. I ask for peace upon all of them, for they share this sacred earth together. Baraka believed in that shared peace. She lived it. She died in it. She was proud to be British and Muslim, deeply rooted in her identity, and deeply respectful of others. Carpenders Park Cemetery gave her that space to be remembered with dignity and visited without division.

Today, as we grieve this recent attack that has shattered the serenity of this sacred space. I urge our communities to return to what Baraka embodied, compassion, humility, and mutual respect. Let Carpenders Park remain what it was always intended to be: a sanctuary of rest and a reflection of a Britain we can all be proud of – diverse, sacred, and united – in our shared humanity.

Iqbal Khan, Bio

Iqbal Khan is a prominent figure in the global Islamic finance industry, and he has led the establishment and expansion of several significant initiatives in the sector. He was a founding board member and the first Chief Executive Officer of Fajr Capital, an Islamic investment firm focused on key Muslim markets. Before Fajr Capital, Khan served as the founding CEO of HSBC Amanah, HSBC’s global Islamic banking division, where he played a pivotal role in growing Islamic financial products and services worldwide. He is widely recognised for his contributions to developing and promoting ethical finance and continues to be an influential voice in the broader Islamic finance community