Criminal in Greece: Muslim with the Quran
February 24, 2010
Source: Proto Thema
A member of a gang of burglars and stolen goods receiver was finally proven to be a young Syrian that had accused a police officer to rip his Quran an step on it last May. There were serious incidents as a result of this accusation in the center of Athens by Muslims and a serious turbulence from the police.
The 27year old Hasan Ramsy was convicted a few days ago to 10 months imprisonment because he was selling stolen goods. The Quran that he was holding however orders clearly, “Do not steal”…
After serious information, there was a police swoop in the underground apartment that Hamzy was living with another Syrian and they bumped into a …treasure. Jewels, watches, mobile phones, electronic devices and other valuable objects were found, that were stolen by a gang of burglars from houses and apartments in the north suburbs of Athens.
During the examination, the 27 Syrian denied that he was in the gang but he claimed that he bought the goods by an unknown man without knowing they were stolen.
His allegation did not convince the court that gave him 10 months imprisonment with a three year parole period, for “accepting and supplying products of crime” while the investigations of the police are continuing to track the gang of burglars.
He left at night…
After the end of the trial, Hamzy was left free and he returned to his country as they stated at “Thema” his co-patriots from the Aghios Panteleimonas area, but also the president of the Muslim Association of Greece, Mr. Naim Elghandour, has no better opinion for the 27year old man. “I know that he wanted to leave from Greece. He contacted me and said that he wants to return back to Syria. Generally he was weird. He was hanging around in strange neighborhoods and he was arrested for forged papers. I told him to be careful. He asked me for money to leave Greece but I found out later that he wanted to take advantage of me,” Mr. Elghandour stated.
He attempted to legalize himself with forged documents
Hasan Hamzy abandoned Greece just as he came. Illegally. He had stated on a TV show that he came illegally to Samos from Turkey in 2002 and after that he came to Athens. In 2003 he applied for his documents to become legal, when government Simitis had those measures, but stating that he was Iraqi by the name Mohammed Attiq and not Syrian. Last May, a policeman that was participating at an operation-broom at Aghios Panteleimonas at the center of Athens stopped Hamzy to check his papers. According to what the young man stated, the policeman ripped pages from the Quran that he had on him and then he stepped on it swearing.
As a result, there was a reaction by a large Muslim immigrant population that lives in Athens and for two days of serious incidents that were provoked from fanatics who damaged vehicles and stores, and there were also injuries. The Muslim Association of Greece and their president Naim Elghandour condemned those incidents then while they applied a law suit against the policeman who offended the holy book of millions of people worldwide.
Mr. Elghandour underlines that some people deliberately attempted to make Hamzy a hero. “Then at the incidents they attempted to make him a hero but the Muslim Association did not allow that to happen. The incidents were incited and we did not allow Athens to burn once again. What we did and proved that we care for this country, is take a law suit against any responsible person, to put responsibility –if there are to the policeman who ripped the Quran. We are waiting the case to go to trial,” he states.
Greece: the Church, the Mosque and the lost vote
February 10, 2010
Source: Enet.gr
By Thomas Tsatsis
© Translated by the Muslim Association of Greece
Ten years ago, when the issue of the identity cards and the indication of the religion was hot, the former bishop of Alexandroupolis – Anthimos was supporting the position of the official Church in an…unorthodox way.
Referring to a fact that was never clarified if it had a real existence, the bishop was saying that about 70 Muslims that were living in the wider region of Alexandroupolis had asked a “voting paper” to sign their claim to mention religion on the ID cards.
This is the same bishop that gave a battle after – out of solidarity – against the Muslim mosque at Peania, as was ordered by the law that was voted by the parliament.
And now he starts a new battle against the law that gives Hellenic nationality to the immigrants who many of them are Muslims. With a simple argument: “The Church was not asked about that. You can’t bring 700 thousands Muslims in the country and make them Greeks without even asking the Church.”
The Thessaloniki bishop (Anthimos), whatever they charge on him, one must admit that he knows about politics. The governments many times are acting according to the perception of the “lost vote” from the “side-church” that prevails inside the hierarchy. That means that the bishop will shout from the pulpit, the Christian crowd will be terrified, the MPs will feel pressures and they will transfer this to their parties to convey the message.
Thus with the populism of the opposition party and with the fear of the vote that can be lost, the government goes backwards and turns 180 degrees. The issue of the identity cards confirms the above. There were only two or three MPs and ministers of PASOK during 2000-2004 that defended the omitting of the religion from the identity cards publically. The rest had disappeared in order not to be indicated as opponents of the Church.
Four years now the governments do not take over the political cost of the construction of the Mosque at Eleonas as mentions the law of New Democracy government of 2006. But they are also scared to proceed to the construction of the Muslim cemetery in a field that the Church has bestowed! Yes, of the Church!
The government has not many choices. Either they will proceed immediately and solve the problem of the thousands of immigrants – and not only – Muslims that live in Attica and will confront a part of hierarchy in front and behind stage, or they will confront issues that cannot solve.
The scattered mosques-warehouses that are more than 100 in Attica are not under any control. Whatever is heard by “imams” that are self-announced small “prophets” many times are dangerous and cannot be confronted by the police. The legitimacy, the operation of one or more mosques with rules and conditions, official, with moderate imams and not with competing “Mujahidins”, can be a start.
Unless the government is waiting to finish first with the law for the immigrants and after that to take counsel with the Church. And just the day before yesterday the Hoy Synod stated that they believe that the law for the nationalities does not coincide totally with the immigration problem and that the government should consider the opinions of the bishops.
Bishops that “on one hand they preserve the teachings of Christ for love to everyone, on the other hand they do not know the partial national and social sensitivities, thus their opinions should be co-calculated to face such crucial matters.” This is the Holy Synod whose president is Archbishop Ieronymos.
Question to the parliament for mosque and cemetery by MP Gr.Psarianos
February 4, 2010
MP of SYRIZA party, Grigoris Psarianos applied yesterday a formal question to the Parliament about the construction of the official mosque and the Muslim cemetery, as this issue seems to be forgotten once again.
Below you can read the entire question
Question To Ministers
- National Defense
- Education, Life Learning and Religions
- Internal Affairs, Decentralization and Electronic Governing
- Infrastructure Transportations and Networks
Subject: “Construction of Muslim mosque and construction of Muslim cemetery”
The Muslim immigrants that live in our country are estimated to be about 700-800 thousand and most of them live in Attica. According to their biggest organization, the Muslim Association of Greece, despite the fact that they do not face problems with the Greek citizens, the same does not happen with the Greek State, which seems to totally ignore their community.
The proof is in the long procrastination of the Hellenic state to fulfill two major issues of the Muslim community: the construction of an official mosque and of a Muslim cemetery in the Attica region.
Today in Athens there are only unofficial praying places, about 100, and the Arabs, Pakistanis, Bangladesh and Kurds that are the majority of the Muslim immigrants. The Muslims from other nationalities pray at the places of the Arab community.
The places are undergrounds, garages, stores, some are neat and others in a miserable situation, depending on the potential of every group. Also in Athens there is not a Muslim cemetery, nor a section for Muslim burial.
Some deceased are transferred to their countries of origin, if this is possible, as it is very costly. Others have no homeland to bury [their dead] as the Palestinians.
The construction of a mosque is described in two laws. The first was by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2004 describing the construction of a worship place for the Muslims at Peania.
But this plan was abandoned after the reactions of the residents of the area and the Church as well. The second law was voted on in 2006 and described the construction of the mosque at Eleonas.
Also, according to a briefing to Muslim Association of Greece by the special Secretary of Religions Ministry when the minister was Evr.Stylianides, there was a disbursement of 15 million euro for the construction of the mosque taken by the State expenditure treasury, as the law of 2006 describes, and that the only delay was the relocation of the supermarket of the navy base from this area, something that was under the authority of the Ministry of National Defense.
With a relative question from Syriza PM Pericles Korovesis, on March 2009 to three ministries, the National Defense Minister replies that on August 2008 there had been sent to the Ministry of Education and Religions, “document that are mentioned the possible locations that the mosque can be constructed at the Navy Base of Votanikos, as well as the financial demands for relocation of the activities of the Navy to another area…”
The Ministry of National Defense and the navy headquarters are expecting the notification of the intentions from the Ministry of Religions. The Ministry of Environment and Zoning replied that “the issue of the Islamic mosque is being handled by the Ministry of Education and Religions.
And the Ministry of Education and Religions, refusing any responsibility, replies, “We are notifying you that the responsibility of the ministry lies only to the financial management of the Islamic mosque that starts after its construction.”
However, article 3 of Law 3512/2006 defines that, “the construction of the mosque will be done by the administration of Applying Educational Projects of the Ministry of Education and Religions and with expenses of the Program of State Investments.” Nevertheless the minister “washes its hands” while the first disbursement has been made.
A similar case stands with the construction of the Muslim cemetery. The Church has bestowed for this reason in 2005 a field of 30.000m² at the Shisto area. But according to the document of the ministry of internal affairs “after reservations that the Organization “Athena” expressed regarding the suitability of the place in question for the specific usage, from zoning and ground aspect, this case is reconsidered…”
After that on June of 2009 the Church states with a letter to the Minister of Environment and Zoning, Mr. Souflias, that this is a social necessity and moves to the next step. [It] bestows another field in the area and has already prepared and given the blueprint and asks the immediate response of the ministries. Until today the State has not responded.
Because of a multicultural Europe of today, Athens is the only European capital that has not taken care of a place of worship and burial of the Muslim population and because it is an issue of social acceptance and mutual respect to the hundreds of thousands co-citizens, the ministers in charge are asked:
- In which stage are the procedures for the construction of the mosque at Eleonas?
- Which ministry is responsible for the funding of the relocation of the services of the navy that is operating in the area?
- What happened to the 15 million euro that according to the Ministry of Education and Religions has been disbursed by the treasury for the expenses of the construction of the mosque?
- Has a notary action been conducted between the Church and State, with which the specific field at Shisto is being bestowed for the construction of the Muslim cemetery? If not why is it delaying, while the church has all good intentions to proceed with this issue?
- Which ministry coordinates the construction of the Muslim cemetery and when is it expected to conclude the works?
The parliamentarian that asks,
Grigoris Psarianos
See related posts by Enet and Zougla
Event: Panel Discussion on Hijab on Feb. 3
January 22, 2010
Event:
Panel Discussion on HIJAB- the Islamic Headscarf
“The Hijab:
Symbol of Oppression or Expression of Faith?
A Right or a Threat?”
Start Time: Wednesday, February 3 at 6:00pm
End Time: Wednesday, February 3 at 8:00pm
Where: Ianos Bookshop Cafe
Η ομάδα 53 Αθήνας της Διεθνούς Αμνηστίας διοργανώνει εκδήλωση συζήτηση στον ΙΑΝΟ (Σταδίου 24) την Τετάρτη 3 Φλεβάρη στις 6μμ, με θέμα:
“Μαντήλα:
καταπίεση ή πίστη, δικαίωμα ή απειλή;”
Εκτός από την εκπρόσωπο της Διεθνούς Αμνηστίας, μικρές εισηγήσεις θα κάνουν:
- η αγγλοϊρανή σκηνοθέτιδα Shirin Youssefian Maanian
- η δημοσιογράφος Κατερίνα Οικονομάκου και
- η Άννα Στάμου, υπεύθυνη δημοσίων σχέσεων της Μουσουλμανικής Ένωσης Ελλάδας.
Στη διάρκεια της εκδήλωσης, θα παιχτεί ένα μικρό απόσπασμα από το έργο “Hijab Frappe΄!”, που πρωτοπαρουσιάστηκε πέρισυ την άνοιξη σε περιορισμένες παραστάσεις και έχει σκηνοθετήσει η Shirin, και θα επακολουθήσει συζήτηση.
Greece: Religious minorities – second class worshippers…
January 2, 2010
Source: Enet
“If the religious leaders stand to the level of the circumstances, then not only will they prevent the use of religion for other purposes unknown to their mission, but they will promote specific proposals of a flourishing inter-religion cooperation. Such a perspective that can develop through the inter-religion dialogue, is most certain that will be supported not only by the international organizations but from the political and spiritual leaders of all peoples,” was writing at “E” the Prime Minister George Papandreou when he was minister of foreign affairs on January 29, 2002.
Today in Greece the problems of the religious minorities remain unsolved. At the meetings that have the representatives of religions and dogma, most of the time they are focused on the problems that they face with their relations with the Greek state than between them.
Thousands of immigrants
Despite of the fact that the population of “others” has increased dramatically in the last two decades of thousands of immigrants mainly from the Muslim countries, nothing has been done to solve the problems of the religious minorities.
Despite the promises and commitments of the governments of Pasok and Nea Dimokratia, none of the claims has been solved. “E” is recording the problems that Muslims, Catholics and Jews face, who most of them are Greeks and are treated as second class worshipers.
CATHOLICS
They manage without any financial support
Dramatic changes to the Church of Greece brought the massive entering of immigrants in our country
Until recently the Catholics were a small religious minority that counted about 50.000 Greeks and a small number of western Europeans that were in our country due to family or professional reasons. Today only in Athens is estimated that the Catholics are 150 to 200 thousand, while more small Catholic communities of immigrants have appeared at several places in Greece. According to the rules of the Catholic church, those fresh-arrived worshipers, no matter what nationality or origin they have, they do not form their own bishopric, but they belong to the local Catholic bishoprics and parishes. Thus a new status is created for the local Catholic church, a multi-national and multi-cultural congregation at the bishoprics and parishes, where the Greek Catholics are a minority any more (in Athens the proportion is one Greek to nine foreign Catholics).
A number of problems concern the national Catholic church related mostly to the newly-arrived worshippers. And as Greek language is not their primary language, more priests are called from Poland, Iraq, Philippines, Albania, Africa who they find it very difficult to settle and work legally in Greece.
Father Theodoros Kondides, the Abbot of Jesuit monastery in Athens talks to “E” concerning a big challenge, and he clarifies that “the Greek Catholic church attempts to create a Christian community with heterogeneous worshippers regarding their origin, but they are united by the same faith and they belong to the same ecclesiastical body”.
Father Kondides refers also to the financial problems that his church faces in Greece. The church’s income he states, “comes from membership fees and from the exploitation of the real property. They cannot depend on aid from the Hellenic state nor from abroad as Greece is considered a “rich” country – member of the EU and for any support the priority goes to the needs of the poor countries”.
Permanent malfunctions
Permanent malfunctions faces the Catholic Church and due to a not complete and vague legal acknowledgement and a public management, which often is negatively determined towards the “foreign doctrines” and offers very limited financial means. The result is between others that a significant number of ecclesiastic monuments or buildings which is a part of the cultural heritage of Greece as well (in Tinos, Athens, Corfu etc.) not to be able to have maintenance, and they gradually are destroyed. Regarding to this issue two questions to the minister of culture and tourism Pavlos Geroulanos applied recently the parliamentarians N.Alevras (PASOK) and F.Kouvelis (SYRIZA). At both questions it is mentioned the fact that the Catholic church is making constant claims to the related ministers for a long time, asking to intervene to restore the Cathedral Church of St. Dionysius at Panepistimiou Street, that had serious damages at the earthquake of 1999. By not receiving any answer the Catholic Archbishopric expresses their fears that the funding is not approved because they concern a Catholic church and not an Orthodox one.
JEWS
Target of attacks and vandalisms are Jewish places
A veil of silence covers the history of the Jewish community of Greece and only recently the state intervened in order to honor the memory of the oldest organized religious community in our country.
On 2004, with the intervention of the foreign minister of that time George Papandreou the 27th of January was set as a day of memory for the victims of the Holocaust by law 32/18/2004. The first historical report for the settlement of the Jews in Greece lies around 350-250 B.C. Since then the Jewish population increased dramatically in Greece. During the Judaic wars (66-70 AC) 6000 Jews were participating according to testimonies to the construction of Corinth Isthmus.
In the 12th century, it is said that Jews settled in Corfu, Arta, Patrai, Nafpaktos, Corinth, Thebes, Khalkis, Thessaloniki, Drama and elsewhere. Jews also lived at islands Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Rhodes and Cyprus. Those Jews that were called “Romaniotes” integrated in the Hellenic culture, and it is characteristic that they were writing Greek texts using the Jewish alphabet.
A mass immigration stream happened in the 14th century when Jew refugees from Spain and Portugal settled in Greece. The settlement was mainly in Thessaloniki and at cities of Thessaly where the Sephardim Jews brought their language –Spanish-Jewish – and their own customs.
Between 16th and 18th century the Israelite community of Thessaloniki was one of the largest in the world. Significant were also the Israelite communities at Rhodes and Crete.
When the new Greek state was founded on 1830, the Jews enjoyed equal political rights with the rest of the Greeks, on 1882 the Jewish communities were acknowledged as legal bodies.
In the beginning of 20th century, about 10000 Jews lived in Greece. After the Balkan wars (1912-13) and the liberation of the North Greece, Epirus and Aegean islands, Crete (1908) and Chios, the number of Jews reached 100.000.
After the 2nd World War when the Italians (1940) and the Germans (1941) attacked against Greece, 12 898 Jews joined the Hellenic army forces.
During the German occupation (1943-1944), by applying the “Final Solution”, the Nazis launched a systematic persecution of the Jews through Greece by tracking, arresting and exiling them at the internment camps in Poland. Eighty six percent of the Jewish population (more than 67.000 people) was perished during the Holocaust. After the end of the war the Jews that survived and returned back to Greece were only 10.000. This population decreased even more due to the migration of many Jews to Israel and USA.
Today in Greece live about 5000 Jews, organized in nine communities.
Despite of the fact that the Jewish community is fully integrated in the Greek reality, anti-Semitic incidents occur often. Target of attacks and vandalisms are often Jewish places (synagogues – monuments – cemeteries). These concern very much the Jewish authorities that ask from times to times from the state to take measures – but with no response – as the enforcement of the anti-racist laws and the protection and guarding the Jewish places. The abolition of anti-Jew customs as the burning of Judas and anti-Jew references to the Eastern Anthems also concern the community. “The matter of anti-Semitism keeps concerning us. In Greece seems to exist the tendency if racist discriminations other circles there is a anti-Semitic spirit,” states the president of the Central Jewish Council of Greece Mr. Moses Konstantinis to “E” and adds, “There are example cases where cleric, political factors find an opportunity to manifest similar feelings. The trial of the abusive and calumnious of the Jews, and supporter of Nazism K.Plevris was an example. The trial that lasted about two years with all phases with different judges revealed to the public opinion district attorneys that the Jews were deliberately attacked and the final verdict (votes 4-1) to not-guilty of the accused made the district attorney of the supreme court to recantation in favor of the law considering that “the five member interpreted and applied incorrectly the relevant law (927/1979) in order not to validate legally anti-Semitism” Mr Konstantinis also refers to the permanent claim without response of the Thessaloniki community where they ask compensation for the destruction of the Jewish cemetery during the German occupation (today in this place is located at the university) and to the salaries of the rabbis that ask to come from the state budget as already happens with the salaries of priests of other religions.
MUSLIMS
The mosque and the cemetery, promises that are not fulfilled
The mosque and the Muslim cemetery remain two of the promises that gave the governments of PASOK and ND the last decade but they have not fulfilled them.
The construction of the mosque is anticipated through two laws.
The first was of the foreign ministry and on the occasion of the Olympic games of 2004 that took place in Athens and was referring to the construction of a worship place for the Muslims at Peania. But the law is not always a law, as often happens in Greece, and the plan was abandoned after the reactions of the residents of the area and the Church authority. It is characteristic that the bishop of the area on August 2004 had confused the matter of the mosque with the rubbish dump. He referred that time with a written statement “if the government wants to show to the international community that we are modernized as a folk and civilized, let them move away the rubbish dumps from Mesogeia, Koropi and Peania that infect our lungs everyday and humiliate our country internationally and then they can build the Islamic center that insults our spirit and history.”
The second law was voted in 2006. It was announced by the Minister of Education and Religions, Marietta Giannakou, and was referring to the construction of a mosque at Eleonas. For a number of reasons the mosque issue had no luck so far.
Regarding the Muslim Cemetery the development was similar
30.000m² at Shisto
The Church had given a field of 30.000m² at Shisto area in 2005. However after about four years the Muslim Association of Greece that was motivated this, was informed through the answer that was given on May 2009 the Deputy Minister Ath. Nakos that “ the area that was offered by the Church of Greece for the construction of the Muslim cemetery was judged by the authorized services as unsuitable for zoning a cemetery.”
After that, with a decision of the Holy Synod, another field was given again in Shisto area. But until now there is no development at all.
The Muslim Association of Greece addressed once more to three ministers of the new government of PASOK to remind them of the chronic problems.
The first letter dated October 26, 2009 that sent addressed to the education minister Anna Diamandopoulou and after they describe what has happened – and not happened – the last years they underline: “According to the latest formal briefing we had from Mr. Angelos Syrigos, special secretary when minister was Euripides Stylianides, the Ministry of Finance had laid out 15 million euro for the construction of the mosque from the state expenditure fund as is mentioned at “Giannakou law” of 2006 and the only barrier was the relocation of the supermarket of the Navy Base from the area and this was under the authority of the Ministry of Defense. We offered to gather this amount for the relocation that is 5 million euro in order to start the project but our proposal was not accepted. As we realized and as the ministers changed, nobody knew what really should be done and no one was in charge any more.”
The second letter dated October 29, 2009 addressed to the vice president of the government Theodore Pangalos and between others they illustrate a numbers of issues that are really serious: “Many times the ‘imams’ of the mosques project all the time the word ‘sin’ in order to cover their ignorance, cutting the bridges that would lead to the integration with the society. So they find in Greece a fertile soil to act without any control and this is something they could not do at their countries of origin. Also there are several that manage the unofficial mosques that they do not wish the construction of a formal mosque because they will lose their privileges, the influence groups and the fees of the worshipers from the alms money.”
The third letter dated November 11, 2009 addressed to the Minister of National Defense Vangelis Venizelos. In the letter the attitude of the former Minster Vangelis Meimarakis is being denounced, “He showed in fact a great unwillingness to solve this matter”, they refer and later they report, “To our personal live discussion he did not give us a clear aspect nor he directed us to someone in charge from his ministry in order to solve this matter.” The only one who has responded so far is the minister of Defense Vangelis Venizelos who by his associates, according to sources, asked to be filled in not only for the mosque issue but for everything that concern the Muslims that live in Greece.
Thomas Tsatsis – Elisabetta Casalotti
tsath@enet.gr – casalotti@enet.gr
Enet.gr: Immigrant neighorhood in Athens
December 4, 2009
The Arabs have their own corner at the Neos Cosmos neighborhood of immigrants
Source : Enet
A scent of aromatic spices is spread at the alleys of Neos Cosmos in Athens. Satellite dishes and men’s washed clothes coexist in the tiny balconies of the old residential buildings for the workers. Young Arabs ask for 30€ a day at construction jobs.
The Arabs settled at Neos Cosmos since the 80s looking for a new life. The central mosque of the Arabs is located at a multi-storey building on Galaxia Street. At the entrance we met Naim Elghandour, president of the Muslim Association of Greece, “Yesterday night they attempted again to attack an Arab store of the neighborhood. It was the same group. The Arabs caught on to them and they chased them. Now they are guarding their stores”.
There is an Arabic supermarket in the building’s basement. The owner is Mazen Rassas, vice president of the Association. He treats us mango juice saying that “around the neighborhood there are about ten Arabic mini markets. Our customers are Syrians, Egyptians and Iraqis. But Greeks also come.”
Rassas narrates, “We settled at Neos Cosmos in the 80s. It was then that the first Arabs were arriving. Then we began constructing this building. We used the underground garage as a mosque. We were asking permission from the governments to build our mosque ourselves but they did not allow it. We hope one day to achieve it”.
The shelves of the store – as in all Arab stores – are loaded with Arabic bread, dates, Arabic newspapers, rice and lentils of fine quality, spices that their smell is spread out to the street. But there are no customers, “the same situation we share with all Greek store owners. We are dancing the same dance…”
Brothers, cousins, the whole family lives on the upper floors of the building. For so many years there has never existed a single problem with the neighbors. Even when we gather every Friday more than 1000 Arabs to pray”. They squeeze, one next to the other, and they do not fit in. They fill the stairs, the pavement…
We descend with Naim Elghandour to the second basement that operates as a mosque. A blue carpet is laid down and has a ventilation system. Young Arabs are studying the Quran.
Behind a curtain at the right corner is the library. Every weekend, they say, is full of students that learn Greek and Arabic language, and are taught the Quran.
No cemetery
The vice president of the Muslim Association is pointing out the need for a cemetery. “I buried my parents at Komotini. For years and years we knock the doors of the ministries without an answer”.
N.Elghandour adds, “We pay the operating expenses from our pockets. We do not ask for funding and European programs, we want to be independent. But a program for integration of the Arabs could be launched in the local society. We also ask from the City of Athens to bestow us a place with low rent to cover the needs of the community. We closed our offices to save the rent.”
We discussed the attack at the two stores, “It was a fascist attack. Some young people attacked, but also young are the Arabs. If they chase them they will catch them. And then we will go to another situation. The state must secure the fortune of the victims of such terroristic attacks. We noted down the destruction and we will claim compensation at the courts.”
In Attica, more than 700 000 Muslims live legally. We need an imam theologist, with academic education. If they allow this we will pay from our wages his salary and his accommodation. Now every community sets an imam that is a construction worker…” he adds.
A few meters away, at Dorm Street, the workers’ residential building are located. Men’s clothes freshly washed and satellite dishes are witnessing that there lives exclusively Arab immigrants. “They repaired the face work, the apartments. They were dilapidated,” an old woman remembers.
We met her across the street at the store “Salma” that was destructed at the attack. Salle gives her a bottle of water. He says that “I am trying to replace the broken glass windows. I pay 350 euro for 9m².” His customers are the Arabs of the buildings across. “Here lives more than 200 Syrians. They all work at construction jobs. They pay rent of 250-270 euro for 30 m² at these dilapidated buildings. Three to six people live in every small apartment.
We go four floors up by the stairs. There was never an elevator. Nor central heating. From the moldy walls of the corridors old pieces of plaster are dropping. Hussein, 28, opens his door and shows us the repairs proudly. He tiled the bathroom and repaired the old window doors. He lives with an Iraqi to share the rent. He complains, “There are no jobs. A year without a wage. And I just ask for 30 euro a day. But in Syria and Iraq things are worse. It is impossible to go back”.
The Greeks
At the entrance we meet a Greek man, “Some Greeks and Arabs sub-rent rooms by person. Things get wild. It’s like we have a piece of meat, we pull from the edges like dogs”.
At the Arabic café, at Kasomouli Street, the Arabs of the neighborhood met. “Here we live 350 Arabs. Every morning we go to work, at evening we go home. We gather ten people in each apartment. We drink tea, chess, backgammon, cards. This is our life,” says Aiman Alahmat.
“Did the neighbors stand up for you?”
“One does not bother the other. We do not steal, we do not make trouble. We know each other, many of us are relatives. We need work and legal documents. Not to be attacked by the fascists and not to be disturbed by the police. We do not need them.”
At the café, before the gathering of Arabs and Greeks in order to group the “committee of Greeks and immigrant residents of Neos Cosmos,” we met Thanasis Kourkoulas from the movement ‘Deport Racism’: “Many Arabs from Neos Cosmos are attending the Sunday immigrant school. They have an organized community, they help each other to overcome the difficulties. They are angry though because suddenly fascist groups are appearing that question their peaceful coexistence.”
By Georgia Dhama
Photo by Spyros Tsakiris
November 27: Eid Al Adha prayer in Greece
November 22, 2009
Εορταστική προσευχή “Αΐντ Αλ Αντχα”
στο Ποδηλατοδρόμιο του Ολυμπιακού Σταδίου
27 Νοεμβρίου στις 8.00 π.μ.
Παρακαλώ δείτε το επισυναπτόμενο αρχείο.
Eid Al Adha festive prayer
Cycling Dome (podilatodromio)
Olympic Stadium of Athens OAKA
November 27 at 8.00am
Gerasimos Loukatos: my journey to Islam
November 13, 2009
My name is Gerasimos Loukatos and I was born and raised in Athens, Greece and officially became Muslim in 2008 in Stockholm. Since then I have been experiencing brotherhood and sincere kindness from Muslims, wherever I happen to meet them! My acceptance of the truth of Islam was so natural for me that it came as a relief after many years of searching and trying to understand the meanings of life. I embraced Islam wholeheartedly when I realized that, for most of my life, I was living in the proximity of the Islamic understanding of life and that everything happens for a reason as I was struggling to understand why something happens and what does it mean.
So, my way to Islam, as I have experienced it, begins very early on starting from the early age of seven when I became interested in the unseen. From the age of 11-15, I was given psychology books like Adler and Freud, where I started training myself on deep reflection and critical thinking. I would often reflect looking into the sky and stars and my surroundings on the countryside outside of Athens. I thought if my time is limited, how do I want to use that time? I needed to balance my spiritual and worldly development – my heart and mind.
I read the New Testament and kept the meaning of anything that taught good character. I really had a hard time understanding how Jesus could be son of God and die, but even more problematic was that he died to redeem us from our sins and how an all-loving and all-forgiving God can hold us accountable for the original sin? Somehow the whole concept didn’t resonate in my heart.
Later on I read a few books on Buddhism which I found far more spiritually cohesive but I still had a problem. I couldn’t understand how people can prostrate to a statue! The more I read about religions the more I became confused. At about 20 years old now, I decided once again to review my understanding by examining what I knew and try to understand what is false and what is true. For me, that meant going back to zero…either there is God or not!
So when I returned back to zero, I explicitly prayed to Him, if He exists to show me His signs!
I couldn’t accept the existence of many gods as this would mean the created gods are dependent on the one god that created them! It became obvious to me, if one God created us, He wouldn’t send different messages to different people. So, even if religions are expressed in different ways, their essence should be the same. The fact that religions were different indicated to me that people throughout time had used religion in order to control and manipulate people. After forming a foundation based on these facts, I started an ongoing dialogue of “if…then” with myself. I ended up believing in absolutely one God but not in religions in any absolute sense. I recognized there is truth in them mixed with fiction and it was a way for people to come together to realize that their religion was the same.
This was the most turbulent period for me spiritually partly because I felt so different than most of the people around me. I never enjoyed drinking or dancing or doing things just for the sake of doing them and I never adhered to fashions. These are enough reasons to characterize a person strange or even anti-social and it took me sometime to understand that there is nothing wrong with that if that’s what you are. Even in terms of intimate relationships, I had a strange understanding that it should be experienced in all three levels, physical, psychological and spiritual in order for it to have any meaning.
Thank God who sent on my way when I was 23, the person that I call my spiritual father! I met Gregory in an interview, on my way of joining a group of people who had far more knowledge and understanding than me in terms of book knowledge. Gregory became in a sense my mentor; it was like sitting at the feet of a teacher in a traditional way of learning. He taught me how not to get lost in the details, nor how to bypass them in face of the whole picture. He taught me that, most often, the same mistakes will come disguised as different ones. He taught me that the purpose can never sanctify the means. He taught me that experience is not always trustworthy, as wrong experience may take you down the wrong path. And when I wanted him to show me that path, he answered me, “I cannot show you the right path. You have to find it on your own and walk on it on your own. I can only try to show you how you will find it.”
He taught me that people who focus on targets risk losing sight of their surroundings. “Every person has his/ her Ithaki and you too,” he said. “Be aware of your Ithaki but always remember, it’s your journey who will take you there!” Well, I guess what I ever say it won’t be enough!
Otherwise, when there was a gathering, I used to remain silent as I felt I couldn’t compete in knowledge with any of the speakers. Until one day, I openly declared that I believe in God but I don’t believe in religions! The director replied, “The older you grow, the nearer you will draw to God.” The only person who stood up to my defense was an atheist but unfortunately none of them understood what I said. That was my last day at the gathering.
Eventually I moved to Sweden as a married man to an Iranian girl. It was my first contact with Muslims even though her family was rather neutral and she was an atheist. After seven years of marriage and three years of trying to make things work, we came to a mutual agreement to divorce in a friendly manner. Thank God once again we didn’t have any children as we realized we had to resolve the problems between us first.
When I met a friend in Athens, who knew both of us well, he told me, “Do you know why it didn’t work out between you? You believe in God while she doesn’t. Differences in view of the world will manifest themselves sooner or later.” Well, maybe he had a point and God knows best!
Several months later I got in touch with a Muslima from another town of Sweden. We communicated mostly by phone and we would discuss just about anything, from philosophy and psychology to religion and politics. Actually I met her in three different occasions over our 3,5 years of contact. She wasn’t a practicing Muslima for some time but eventually we were discussing more and more about religions. I had the same distorted views about Islam, as so many others in the Western hemisphere. Even my earlier contact with Muslims didn’t change my view. However, I was aware of the politics and the propaganda taking place through the media and I was aware that any understanding I had was not objective. So, I used to discuss, listen and reflect, until almost two years ago.
She started telling me that I think like a Muslim, I should become a Muslim, I am a Muslim. At the end I became curious to find out why she thinks I am a Muslim, so I started buying books about Islam and eventually I bought the Quran.
When reading, I came across the two most misunderstood verses of the Quran. One of them was verse Surat An-Nisaa: 34. After listening to the correct explanation of the verse, reading the whole Quran and listening to a couple of lectures, I knew why I was Muslim (in a sense) and why I should become Muslim officially. That Muslima, in the process of guiding me to the correct understanding of Islam, she returned herself in the practice of Islam. In many ways it was perfect between us in having almost everything in common but we had to go separate ways due to her refusal to move to Greece and my refusal to consciously deny Greece. It’s only for God to know what He saves for me and it’s for me to find out! One way or another, I couldn’t consciously give up my family and alhamdulillah, it is comforting to know that I will not be the only Muslim in Greece!
How has Islam changed my life? Well, in many practical ways, it hasn’t changed it a lot. I didn’t drink, I didn’t go out dancing and jumping up and down and I always strived not to have superficial relationships of any kind. My family didn’t have a problem with my religion either, even though my father doesn’t want to listen a word about Islam, he recognizes my freedom of choice and time given and God willing he will listen some day or even better see for himself. Surprised and disinterested as he might be, he doesn’t hold hard feelings, alhamdulillah.
However, Islam has changed my awareness of my relationship of God, my awareness of my actions and words towards others and my awareness of who I am, why I am what I am, why I am here and where I am going.
What I know from experience is that difficulties will come and they will pass by and if that will not teach us patience it will teach us something we really need to know. So many times I found myself at the edge and being in distress for not finding a way out and so many times I had an opening when least expected! At the end I couldn’t feel in distress even in the worst of situations because I knew the opening would eventually come! And every person I met, every stimulus to every thought or reflection my intellect could perceive, every situation I found myself in, was all part of my way to Islam. God showed me His signs as I prayed and He revealed to me how things are in truth. Until now, I can’t find a question Quran hasn’t an answer to. I am talking about answers my intellect can grasp and my heart can sense. Surely, I don’t have all the answers but I know where to find them inshaa Allah!
Finally I found the path I was searching for and it’s the straight path! It is difficult to walk on it, due to the many distractions around it, but it’s worthy following it. So, I am not anywhere near an ideal Muslim but if it is one person who played the most important role in my life, that person was my mother. She taught me Islam without knowing it! She taught me to forgive and pardon others for their shortcomings and she advised me to listen to my heart when I can’t see the way clearly. I would give the same advice to everyone who is in search of the truth. Just make sure to clear the distortions before listening to your heart, otherwise you will only hear cacophonic sounds!
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photo credit: Atonal Blue
First conference in Athens: “The Muslim Communites and their Cultural Identity”
October 14, 2009
October 14, 2009 by Anna
The first Muslim Conference in Athens is a fact. On Tuesday October 6 at the National Research Foundation the conference took place by the title “The Muslim Communities and their Cultural Identity”. The organizers were the Cultural Center of the Iranian Embassy in Athens, the World Forum for Proximity of the Islamic Schools of thought and the Muslim Association of Greece.
The unity of the Muslims was the basic characteristic of this conference. Shias and Sunnis all sat together and discussed basic matters that affect all Muslims of the Western world.
Famous guests honored the event as Ayatollah Taskhiri, Ayatollah Ahtari and professor Tabarayan from Al Zahra University Tehran who traveled from Iran for this event exclusively. From Egypt came Dr. Mohammed Abdelmaksoud Herzullah of Al Azhar University and imam of the Hussein Mosque of Cairo.
From Muftiya of Didymotiho participated the deputy mufti Dr.Yashar Damadoglu, and from Komotini came Mr. Hassan Patchaman and the unofficial mufti of Komotini Mr. Ibrahim Sherif.
The national communities saluted the conference, stating -beside their presence- the basic problems the Muslims face as the lack of mosque and Muslim cemetery. A salutation also addressed professor Vangelis Pissias.
The identity of the Muslim at the non-Muslim country was the central point where all speakers inclined to the fact that the Muslim must be in a brotherhood with his co-religionists, not to let small differences divide them because this way he loses his rights.
The Muslim must respect the laws of the country he lives in and to be dutiful to his obligations in order to be in position to deserve and claim from his society. There is a way to maintain his identity and at the same time to integrate as long as he is a true believer, pursue the unity and participate actively at the Muslim community.
This is the first time that such a conference is organized and in fact, it had a very satisfactory turnout and media coverage. Also, the local authorities expressed their interest to have more educational events as seminars or conferences aiming at the information, education, solving of problems around the life of the Muslims in our country. The Muslim Association of Greece illustrated the necessity of such events as they benefit the society on the whole because the society asks for improvement of its problems, harmonious coexistence between citizens and mutual respect.
The outcome of the conference read Professor Tabarayan and in the end he emphasized the significance of showing the right face of Islam to the world and that Muslims should work towards this way, always in unity.
Read the conference speech by MAG
(over 40 photos)
Call for Athens mosque by Cairo Imam
October 12, 2009
Source: Ethnos
Muhammad Herzullah, Professor of Al Azhar University – Imam of Hussein Mosque Cairo
The request of the presence of an official imam and the existence of a mosque and Muslim cemetery in Athens expressed in his interview at “Ethnos”, Dr. Muhammad Herzullah, Professor of Al Azhar University and Imam of Hussein Mosque of Cairo. Dr. Herzullah defends the ideals of Islam and states that many times Islam is distorted in the West. The imam also rejects the aspect that the division of the Muslims into Shias and Sunnis has religious base and he supports that in fact there are different schools of Islamic thought.
An interview with Paraskevi Vonatsou
The interview was given in the context of the International Conference that took place in Athens the day before yesterday and the translation was made with the assistance of the president of the Muslim Association of Greece, Mr. Naim Elghandour.
In the Western world many times it is attempted to connect Islam with terrorism. How do you interpret that?
There is not the relevant education to understand Islam. In the countries that the one is connected with the other there is not the right information, Islam is something unknown.
Islam is a religion with high standards, respects for others and all opinions. This is the basis of Islam. I wish there were theologians coming from certified universities to many countries, in order to avoid misconceptions.
Then why there are deaths in the name of jihad?
The word jihad is another misunderstood term of the West that connects it with terrorism. It is a fight, and effort, a struggle. The word jihad exists everywhere: when one is going to study, to work, when one tries to solve problems between people, when he preserves his rights, when he defends his country.
In Athens, where there is not an official imam, is there a bad interpretation of the Quran from those who play the imam role at the unofficial praying places?
This is really very dangerous because anyone may interprete the Quran as he pleases. The authorities of the countries that have Muslim population must take care of the wellbeing of the country and for the harmonious coexistence, they must solve this matter, so that the faithful know which is the true Islam.
Does the religious division between Shias and Sunnis exist, or this is a case of political perspectives?
In fact those are different Islamic schools of thought. This hard rivalry between them is provoked by enemies of Islam, as happened in Iraq, where after the intervention of the foreign powers began the inner fight between them.
What is Islam at last? Is this a religion, and ideology or a way of living?
Islam is the vein of life. What gives life. It respects other religions, wants dialogue and thinking, and adopts the exchange of opinions with other religions, in order to eliminate religious conflicts and deaths in the name of religions.
There is the aspect that the Muslim woman has a diminished role in the society. Is this an order from the Quran?
No, this is a wrong aspect. Islam has given rights to the woman and gives her freedom of thinking and will. For example when a woman does not want to marry someone, she expresses that, she cannot get married by force, also the courts issue divorces to women. The Muslim is also a very good husband.
Polygamy is not derogatory for a woman? Why does it not exist for the opposite also?
I invite you to think which is best: a man to have two or three formal wives with rights at heritage, at pension and fortune or to have mistresses? The vise versa does not stand because a woman is not created in her nature to have many husbands. It is scientifically proven that the woman in her nature cannot marry more than a husband. This does not underestimate the woman. It is characteristic that many women accept the role of the second wife instead of being mistresses without marriage.
How do you comment the fact that there is not an official mosque and Muslim cemetery in Athens?
Greece is considered as the Cradle of Democracy and Freedom since those ideals were born here. I also ask the Greek government to make action those that your country represents. Like in Egypt, we have Orthodox churches and schools and communities and cemeteries.
Muslim Conference in Athens
The different schools of Islamic thought but also the hot issue of not having a mosque and a Muslim cemetery in Athens were the issues that were discussed at the first international conference titled “the Muslim Communities and their Cultural Identity”.
The initiative for the organizing this belongs to the Cultural Center of the Iranian embassy in Athens, to the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic School of Thought, and the Muslim Association of Greece. In the beginning at his salutation, Mr. Yunes, representative of the Afghani immigrants in Greece underlined that Athens is the only European country, despite of the existing laws that has not allowed yet the existence of a formal place of worship and a cemetery for the Muslims.
On behalf of the Muslim Association of Greece, Mrs. Anna Stamou underlined, “Islam is a system of life, not just a religion, and takes part at every aspect of people’s life. If someone wants to be called a good Muslim, he must fully respect the laws of the state in the country he lives.” The result of the conference was read by a professor of Tehran university and concluded that the right face of Islam must be shown globally.
Between the speakers were Ayatollah Akhtari, of the International Committee of Prophet Muhammad’s descendents, Ayatollah Taskhiri, secretary General of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic School of Thought, Yashar Sherif Damadoglou deputy mufti of Didymotiho and the unofficial Mufti of Komotini Ibrahim Sherif, to whom the Muslim Association of Greece kept the distances.
