The worldwide ‘lockdown’ due to Covid-19 has had an accelerating effect on the ongoing discussion of Islamic burial in the Netherlands. Because of the closure of airspace Moroccan and Turkish-Dutch deceased could no longer be repatriated to be buried in their country of origin. This increased the pressure on cemeteries in the Netherlands to provide for the requirements and rituals of an Islamic burial. And this in turn showed the importance of the discussion that is already taking place in the House of Representatives about changes to the laws and regulations concerning burials. These three dimensions of Islamic burial in the Netherlands – personal, practical and legal – are discussed in this article.

This article analyzes the relationship between religiosity and organ donation, using unique Dutch register- and survey data of almost 400.000 individuals. One in four of the Dutch population ages 12 years and above is registered as an organ donor. Non-religious individuals are more likely to give permission for the transplantation of their organs than the religious. In particular, there are few organ donors among individuals who very frequently attend religious services. Furthermore, there are differences between religious denominations. Roman-Catholics are more often registered as an organ donor than Protestants, in particular among older generations. The proportion of organ donors is lowest among Muslims.

Crematoria in the Netherlands develop from utility buildings to places where attention is paid to death rituals, commemoration and mourning. This trend is clearly visible in policy and subsequent activities of the Tilburg Crematorium (the Netherlands). This article describes this policy and positions it in the broader context of cultural and religious developments in the Netherlands.

Recently there’s a lot of debate within the Netherlands about the criminality of assistance by someone who’s not a doctor towards the death of a loved one. In the Heringa lawsuit a son has helped his (step)mother who wished to no longer live (considered her life to be ‘completed’) to die at an age of 99. The helper non-doctor risks criminal pursuit and punishment. The central argument of the lobby to establish a more humane approach towards the persevered need is personal autonomy. This article aims to clarify the debate and to stimulate another way of thinking towards the situation of, mostly, elderly who want to decide and act independently regarding their death.