Muslim prayer with tension in Athens
November 17, 2010
Source: TVXS
Translation © Muslim Association of Greece
It was characterised by the great numbers of people who participated and the request for respect the rights of the immigrants. It was blemished by the attitude of a group of people who disagree with the presence of foreigners in the country. In Tuesday morning, under the occasion of one of the most important feasts of Islam, Muslim immigrants performed a public prayer in 15 points of Athens.
At Propylaia, was realised the wider participation of Muslims for the feast of Qurban Bayram, that refers to the sacrifice of Abraham’s son. At about two thousand Muslims, originating from different countries, kept their custom. After they placed sheets on the ground, in the courtyard of Athens Academy, they took of their shoes and they keeled following the Imam’s prayers, who travelled from the Islamic University of Egypt to participate in the ceremony.
The public religious performance of Muslims in Athens, symbolised as well, the need of the construction in Attica, like the administration of political asylum. Like the big red banner “We ask for political asylum”. Besides, the prayer took place next to the tents of the Iranians hunger strikers, who as being political refugees they demand asylum from the Greek authorities.
The Police was discretely present in the manifestation, in order to deter any aggressiveness by people who are not fond of the immigrants. The few aggressive incidents that happened at Propylaia were minor interest, mainly focused on the verbal protest of the passing pedestrians, who were expressing thoughts such as “in Constantinople, the Greeks cannot pray.”
In Attica square, the demonstration expanded in three additional elements: music notes, eggs and yogurts. Approximately 50 extreme rightists, who tried from the previous night to occupy the area but they were drove off by the police, they gathered early in the morning in the square and started soughing abusive slogans against the immigrants. Although they did not leave the area, they were strayed by the lined police officers.
Nevertheless, “allies” were found in a balcony of an adjacent building. Three women raised Greek flags and put on loud music, harassing the immigrants’ prayer. In addition, they were shouting abusive slogans. In the account the throw of two eggs and two yogurts towards the square is added. Clearly worried, the approximately 500 immigrants (majorly from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh) did note reacted. After they fulfilled the ceremony, they immediately left the area.
Translator: Myrto Zacharof
Turks, Greeks and my journey to Islam
September 16, 2010
By Tina Stylianidou
My journey to Islam is a sensitive one since my Greek Orthodox family lived in Turkey for most of their lives. Although I was born in Athens, Greece, my father, who was born and raised in Istanbul to a wealthy and well educated family, was like others living in a Muslim country – he held on to his religious identity tightly.
A time came when the Turkish government decided to kick the majority of Greek citizens out of Turkey and confiscate their wealth, houses and businesses. So my father’s family had to return back to Greece, empty handed and basically poor. This is what they, the Turks –’Muslims’ – did to them and this validated (according to them) their hatred towards Islam.
My mother’s family lived on a Greek island just on the border between Greece and Turkey and during a Turkish attack the Turks occupied the island and burnt their houses. So they escaped to the Greek mainland in order to survive. Even more reason to hate the Turks –’Muslims’!
Greece was occupied by the Turks for over 400 years and we were taught to believe that for every crime committed towards the Greeks, Islam was responsible. That the Turks were Muslims and their crimes were reflecting their religious beliefs. So for hundreds of years we were taught in our history and religious books to hate and make fun of Islam. In our books, Islam was actually not a religion and Muhammad (pbuh) was not a prophet! He was just a very intelligent leader and politician who gathered rules and laws from the Jews and the Christians, added some of his own ideas and conquered the world.
We were taught at school how to make fun of him and of his wives or his companions. All the ‘caricatures’ and slander against him which is published in today’s media was actually part of our curriculum.
But God protected me so hatred against Islam had not entered my heart. Other Greeks have also succeeded to rid themselves of the burden of the Orthodox religious inheritance placed on their shoulders and they have opened their eyes, ears and hearts to see that Islam is a true religion sent by God and Muhammad (pbuh) is a true prophet, the last of all prophets after a long chain of messengers starting from Adam, Noah, Abraham, Ismael, Isaac, Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them all), all sent to mankind to guide the people to the same message.
It was a great help to me that both of my parents were not very religious themselves, they rarely practised their religion and they used to take me to church only during weddings or funerals. What drove my father away from his religion was the corruption he was seeing daily among the priests and this led him to become an atheist.
As a teenager, I loved to read a lot and I wasn’t really satisfied or convinced with Christianity. I had belief in God, fear and love for Him, but everything else confused me. I started searching around but I never searched towards Islam (maybe due to the background I had against it). But in the end, God had mercy on my soul and guided me from darkness to light of the truth – Islam – submission only to One God.
He brought into my life my husband, a born Muslim, and we got married without us really paying attention to the religious differences. My husband was willing to answer any questions I had concerning his religion without humiliating my beliefs (no matter how wrong they were) and without ever putting any pressure on me or even asking me to change my religion. After three years of being married and having the chance to know more about Islam, to read the Holy Quran, as well as other religious books, I was convinced that there is no such thing as a trinity, nor was Jesus God.
I became a Muslim keeping it secret from my family and friends for many years. We lived with my husband in Greece trying to practise Islam but it was extremely difficult – almost impossible. In my home town there are no mosques, no access to Islamic studies, no people praying, fasting or women wearing hijab (the Islamic head cover).There are only some Muslim immigrants who came to Greece for a better financial future and who let the Western lifestyle attract them and eventually corrupted them. As a result, many do not follow their religious practices and are completely lost.
It was incredibly difficult to perform our Islamic duties, especially for me, as I wasn’t born Muslim and didn’t have an Islamic education. My husband and I had to pray and fast with the use of calendars instead of a Muslim call to prayer in our ears and no Muslim community to support us. We felt that with each passing day we were stepping backwards and our faith was decreasing as the wave was taking us in.
So when my daughter was born, we decided to migrate to a Muslim country. We didn’t want to raise her in a environment where she would struggle to maintain her identity where she could end up lost.
Now, after four years of our migration, I feel so homesick, so nostalgic and I wonder if it is time to return back to Greece, the beautiful country that I was born to and try to find a way to combine the wonderful identity and culture of my Greek ancestors as well as my Islamic identity and beliefs. I feel proud and thankful to God that I can be both Greek and Muslim.
Συγκλονιστική η μαρτυρία του δημοσιογράφου που μετείχε στην αποστολή
June 4, 2010
Source: Skai.gr
“Συγκλονιστική η μαρτυρία του δημοσιογράφου του ΣΚΑΪ Άρη Χατζηστεφάνου που μετείχε στην αποστολή, για την αγριότητα των ισραηλινών δυνάμεων κατά τη διάρκεια της κράτησης και ανάκρισης των ακτιβιστών.”
“The shocking testimony of SKAI journalist Ari Hadjistefanou participant in the mission [Ship to Gaza], the brutality of the Israeli forces during detention and questioning of activists.”
Shocking stories told by Greek activists who returned back to Athens
June 2, 2010
Source: Enet.gr
© Translation Muslim Association of Greece
The first six Greek activists condemned the illegal detention of the Greeks at Ashdod port in Israel and the violence they faced after their arrival at the airport Eleftherios Venizelos this morning. They characterized Israel’s action as “piracy” and they stressed that the ships carried only humanitarian aid and were thoroughly checked before departing from their ports.
As Aristidis Papadokostopoulos stated, on the Greek ship was humanitarian aid, wheelchairs, prefabricated homes and medical supplies.
According to the activist when the ship was raided by the Israelis, the Free Mediterranean was 70 miles away from the waters of Gaza.
He described the Israeli actions as “clearly piratical” and underlined that “we can not allow Israel to play the role of the policeman.”
On his part, activist D. Gelalis from Larissa said that “around four o’clock in the morning we saw inflatable boats everywhere approaching us and within seconds fully armed commandos boarded the vessel.”
Activists also tell of beatings and use of electric shock and said, “We didn’t even have the right to get up of the chair. We had to raise our hands to use the toilet.”
The rest of the Greeks which are illegally detained will be brought against Israeli justice as Thanos Petrogiannis, an engineer from the Greek university, stressed.
“We went to offer help. According to the Israelis 80 miles away from the land is considered Israeli international waters and that we had entered their country illegally,” he said.
He continued by saying, “The ones who are still detained refused to sign any papers given to them by the Israelis. They will be taken to court in about 10-15 days.”
He added, “That the humanitarian aid carried by the ships bound for the Gaza strip has been seized.”
The use of violence from the Israeli commandos was condemned by the activist Michalis Grigoropoulos.
“We were in international waters. The Israelis hijacked our ship. They took us hostage as they kept aiming guns at our heads,” he said. He continued by saying that, “I was the steersman of the boat. They descended from the helicopters dropping and threw tear gas. We didn’t resist, we couldn’t do anything against the commandos.“
He also witnessed the use of electroshock to whoever tried to create a human shield in front of the bridge. Concerning the conditions of the detainment he said, “They wouldn’t even let us use the toilet, eat or drink water as they also made videos of us.
As far as the confiscation of the humanitarian aid and other personal belongings is concerned Michalis Grigoropoulos stated, “They confiscated everything. They left nothing but my papers. They took mobiles, laptops, cameras and personal belongings.”
He also said that he refused to sign papers submitted to him by the Israelis and he was removed against his will.
”They did not let me contact my lawyer or even the Greek embassy,” he said. He continued by accusing the Greek government by saying that, “Taken to trial will be the ones who refused to sign Israeli documents. The Greek government has done nothing to safeguard the Greek ships. They did not do anything to prevent them from jumping on our ships.”
Israeli claims
On the other side, the spokesman of the defence ministry in Israel, Sady Muoni, speaking on NET, said that the passengers of the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara aimed at provoking us.
He insisted that the occupants of the ship tried to lynch the Israeli soldiers while he claimed that an activist fired first.
Following that, Muoni added that the soldiers had to use violence.
Greek protest
The ambassador of Greece in Israel responded to the illegal detainment of Greek activists by Israel with a protest, calling for their immediate release.
He states that the arrest of the activists took place in international waters and that Israel could not ask from the detainees to sign documents for attempting to enter the country illegally.
According to the latest reports, 610 people have been transferred to Dire Sheva prison and held as prisoners until their cases are heard by the Israeli court.
Amongst the 610 prisoners are 31 Greeks, in which the Greek ambassador of Tel Aviv is going to visit.
From their part, Israeli authorities note that they are not held as prisoners but detained in a specially designed place in prisons.
Even though the custody of the Greek activists remains unclear, in Jerusalem and in parts of Northern Israel, Israeli Arabs are protesting against the bloody attack against the Freedom Flotilla.
Translated by Julie Jalloul
Cargo ship to Gaza leaves Greece (full photo gallery)
May 25, 2010
Note from the people from the “Ship to Gaza”:
Subject: The Greek ships leave for Gaza!
First the truck (FREE MEDITERRANEAN) and after the cruise (Sfendoni) depart from Piraeus today bound for the port of Gaza. After weeks of preparation and hard work uploading the truck for three days and nights, ready to join other ships of the “Liberty Fleet” and become the means for breaking the siege of the Zionists, who threatened to stop it. The briefing will be ongoing and will be from the site and from the digital platform. They should be ready for mass mobilization, when it enters the latter part of the business (about four days). We want you all with us!!!
More information and digital broadcasts boat picture of the ships for all of us who can not travel, visit the site www.shiptogaza.gr.
Click on the photo to view the photo gallery from the Muslim Association of Greece.
In Votaniko, the mosque! (in-depth report)
May 2, 2010
Source: Expresso
© Translation: Muslim Association of Greece
And the name…Votanikos! This is the name of the location that the first Islamic mosque of Athens will be constructed, after the decision of the government to proceed applying the law of 2006 and to satisfy a permanent claim for the Muslim community [in Greece].
After negotiations between the City of Athens and the related ministries of Education and National Defence, the government judged the most suitable place for the construction of the mosque to be a part of the field that occupies the Navy Entrenchment of Votanikos. The land has 17 acres and is located where the current Central Station of Navy Cars is.
The first mosque of Athens will be located at Iera Odos, a few hundred metres from Markoni Street and the Eleonas metro station. There exists several home trade businesses, car sales, and construction material in this area and it is diminished by the passing of heavy vehicles. However it is almost certain that in a few years the picture will be totally different, as the new stadium of Panathinaikos will be constructed nearby along with plans to widen the streets of this area.
According to the existing plan, the entrance of the mosque will be from Iera Odos. The construction will have a capacity of about five hundred persons and will “be included in a wider open green area,” as announced the government spokesman George Petalotis, but it will not have a minaret. As far as the Station of Navy Cars is concerned, it will be relocated to another place of the Navy Entrenchment of Votanikos.
The president of the Muslim Association of Greece, Naim Elghandour, is satisfied with the developments and emphasizes that the mosque is essential for the thousands of foreigners but also for the Greeks, as he says – Muslims that live in Athens. At the same time, he promised that when the mosque starts operating, most of the unofficial praying places that exist today at the capital will close.
“The Muslims are praying in warehouses and underground garages. This is not right and it does not suit to our civilization,” says Mr. Elghandour and states that the Association “will go forward to close,” those praying places that are located today at areas that will be accommodated by the Votanikos Mosque.
Mr. Elghandour has an Egyptian origin but has Hellenic nationality and has served in the Greek Army. In a way, he considers those developments his achievement and the Association’s, since, as he states, by their letter to the Minister of Education Marietta Giannakou in 2006, they began the procedures for the voting of the relative law, and with a recent letter to the present Minister of National Defence, Evangelos Venizelos, ‘unsticking’ the case that was frozen for a long time.
“We proposed to be a Hellenic mosque, in the terms that no foreign country is to put money so that they will not have the upper hand,” refers the president of the Muslim Association of Greece and adds that they do not want the mosque “to be something huge and attract attention negatively.”
As far as the imam is concerned, Mr. Elghandour asks the Ministry of Education to choose one of those that the Association will propose. “We want him to be active, strong and educated in order to gather the people around him and teach them the correct Islam,” says characteristically. “There is no extreme Islam – these are politics. Islam is a religion of peace, love and beneficial to the society, just as we Muslims in Greece live. We love, respect and defend it,” he underlines.
However Mr. Elghandour does not hide his disappointment for the fact that the mosque will not have a minaret, while he sees the capacity of 500 people very little. “They should think about it. We had proposed to the Ministry of Education [for the mosque] to be 2500m², and to have two floors in order to accommodate 2500 persons,” he ends up.
“With State Funds”
The construction will be based to the law 3512/2006 where describes the establishment of a legal body of private law under the name “Administrating Committee of Islamic Mosque of Athens” and its work will be the management of the mosque. The administration of the mosque will have the Greek State since the 7-member board of the committee will be consisted by the general director of religions of the Ministry of Education, a general director of Finance ministry, two reps of the City of Athens, a consultant that will be assigned by the Athens Academy and two representatives of Muslims that live in Attica. At the mosque, there will be an imam that will be assigned by the Minister of Education and will have a two year contract and his duties will be “limited in the responsibility for the internal operation of the mosque.”
For the time being there is no evaluation for the whole cost of the construction. As Mr. Petalotis announced, “the project will be executed with Greek funds by the Program of Public Expenditure Fund, and offers from foreign factors, governmental or not, will not be accepted.” According to the law 3512/2006, the operation costs of the mosque will be covered by the funding of the Ministry of Education but also from endowments, donations and every kind of offers of natural or legal faces.
By: Stathis Deligiorgis
Photos: William Faithful
Translated by Anna Stamou
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.
Too much God bless… (Κύρ’ ελέησον)
May 14, 2009
Source: Enet.gr
”Our Father in Heaven, your name is blessed…… ” and over to you now.
It has been circulated like a student joke but the story is true.
Early each morning in a Lyceum school in Athens a student is called up to recite the Morning Prayer.
He takes the microphone, says a few words, stops and mimicking a diva star he calls the audience to continue “The Smash Hit’.
Though the above mentioned event is probably exaggerated nevertheless in hundreds of Primary , High and Lyceum Schools in Greece thousands of pupils begin each ‘working day ‘ with The Lord’s Prayer.
This individual act of worship and communication with God has been transformed to an obligatory act , dictated by laws and is being contacted by assembling the pupils to a line up, making announcements, and giving instructions to the young audience.
It has become a duty that is met by the teachers and pupils with a heavy heart.
Exercise of Self Concentration
“One feels very bad ….It is ridiculous” says Mr Alexander Kariotoglou, a Professor of Theology currently teaching in Thessalia University and a close contact of Archbishop Ieronymos.
” I have experienced for years this duty as a teacher in secondary education” says Mr Kariotoglou.
“As the head teachers face difficulties with the application of this institution , they often charge the Theology teachers with the duty.
I was happy to accept the duty and in the beginning of each school year I would explain to the students the significance of the duty prior to any event and especially spiritual events.
We ought to spend a few minutes to concentrate.
I used to say to the pupils that whoever believes, can ask for God’s help.
But if they did not believe, and they have every right to do so, they could simply be silent and this is very therapeutic.”
When we asked him regarding the Immigrants’ children he said without hesitation.
“If in a school there was a sufficient number of Muslim pupils I would not hesitate to ask a pupil to recite the First Surah of the Qur’an.”
Personal Affair
“Prayer is clearly an individual affair.
It is difficult for me to feel an up lift if I try along with others like “a little soldier” as it happens in schools and even churches where one often drifts absent minded to the right or to the left with total lack of self concentration” says Costas Bey, peer professor of law and a person with deep religious beliefs.
He also brings two bright examples for the personal element of communication with the transcendental.
” We know that Socrates while he was in participation in the expedition of Potidea, remained for the whole night sunk deep in his reflections before prostrating to the sun and commencing service.
Jesus himself also does not appear in any of the Holy Scriptures to be praying with others.
At all times he preferred to isolate himself for this purpose.
Spirit and Order
However what is to become when a person clashes with the human laws?
The implementation of prayer in the school is outlined with clarity by a series of legal texts, presidential decree 210 -1998 and annual circulars from the Ministry of Education (and Religions of course).
In websites of national and religious content you often come across reports such as ” The teachers or the head teacher of X school are indifferent to prayer.”
“There is often an outcry, people become targets and this is a very serious matter” says Vasiliki Georgiadou locum teacher of Political Science in Panteios.
“The school does not exist in order to make the child of a faithful doctrine neither in order to stimulate religious belief.
It is not the obligatory prayer that will make me a Christian. This is compulsive belief. Are we in Iran?” wonders Mrs Georgiadou.
From God we Originate
“The rules and regulations that exist are not something that has been forcefully imposed upon the Greek Schools.
It is the tradition of the Greeks, The Christian Orthodox Faith which drives us to start our work by remembering God first” says Helias Frangopoulos Vice President of the Panthellenic Union of Theologians: There is no pressure put by the presence of the laws for those who do not wish to pray .
You have to wonder though what happens to those who refuse to participate while the others are actively involved in the prayer.
What about the thousands of immigrant children with different religious backgrounds and other Christian sects?
The Greek Orthodox never showed any particular animosity towards others”, stresses Mr Frangopoulos . ” I have to remind you what happened to the Greek Jews during the Blitz. I feel that I have completed my duty when the children are around me and they know that I love them.
The Back Row for the Muslim Children
“The morning assemblies are not just for prayer”, continues Mr Frangopulos, “it is an opportunity to make announcements, give instructions, hear words that shape the every day school life.
I think that Muslim children should stay at the back rows of the assembly……”
“But is this not a dangerous discrimination” we ask.
“It is but always within the spirit of cooperation and a non hostile reaction to the other (!!!).
The issues can be resolved in a climate of love, and partnership and it must be encouraged to grow in the children.
We must not renounce ourselves or our identity just to please others….” continues the Vice President of the Pan Hellenic Union of Theologians.
Violations of consciousness
“It is impossible for the issue of religious conscience to be subject to any coercion and collective response” stresses Professor Bey . ” The Constitution possibly refers that the Education System should also merit the Religious Education but Article 2 stresses that the respect and protection of the human rights is a primary obligation of the state.”
« The freedom of religious conscience is provided for by the European Convention of Human Rights and this freedom according to the Article belongs to all including small children” says Mr Bey.
« Question of the violation of the right of freedom of conscience is not just for the foreign or other faith children” says Evi Zambeta, Associate Professor of Education Policy, Athens University and Author of the Book ‘Schools and Religion’:
« Those who research know that the children are present in prayer, Christian or not as nobody wishes to be different.
An exemption is possible at the request of the parents but is lacks as it requires a state identity, leading to marginalisation and creates conditions of social exclusion.
If you do not attend each morning where the other children attend, you remain alone in a corner and you are being pointed out at.
It is as the school declares whom it belongs to”.
« The identity is not relinquished if it respects itself and others. Anyway , it is dominant” insists Mrs Zambeta.
A Job to Do
“We go to the Greek Orthodox Church because we want to and without any strict obligation as it happens with the Catholics and The Protestants” says A Kariotoglou:
« We are a Church of Freedom and from the Theological Freedom’s point of view I find inconsistent to consider forcing the children to such prayer.”
Why should they then in school pray all together in such a restrictive framework?
« I see no limits” maintains his position the Vice President of Theologians:
“What should it be? One praying, one carrying the flag and the other talking about football?
If we say we work together then we should work together.
One can gain self discipline by obedience and order.
« Is there any order in the evangelical orders? Their religious conscience is not disciplined is unregulated.
Some withdraw to pray, others play football, others have fun and why not?
The prayer should not be classed as work.
Who wants discipline should join the army” says Mr Bey angrily.
People of Prayer
“The group prayer borders religious fundamentalism and is outside our religious culture,” says Vasiliki Georgiadou.
“When you insist, especially when you deal with children of other faiths, you ignore the sensitivities which yourself promote via the act of Prayer.
You give them the possibility of self exclusion but in reality you exclude them yourself.
You ignore the multicultural features of society”.
Mrs Georgiadou under the European Social Survey 2007 dealt with the topic ” Mass, Religiousness and Prayer” and she still remembers the impressive result emerging, that the Greeks appear to be by massive difference , the most praying people as only a minority of 4% answered that they never pray when in catholic countries the average number of people not praying was 32%.
In that research, the Greeks excelled in the matter of “xenophobia” but fortunately another research in the schools of Greece showed that the overwhelming majority of Greek students accept and befriend immigrant children.
Who makes the Laws?
Mosque and cemetery: too much to ask?
February 13, 2009
This an article by our brother and head of the Muslim Association of Greece, Naim El-Ghandour, published with IslamOnline.net.
In an ancient region called Thrace, North East of Greece, a Muslim community of about 120, 000 Muslims is based. Historically, the population of this city was exempted from applying the provisions of the Treaty of Lausanne VI, 1923; a treaty which aimed at applying an obligatory exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey following World War I. This Muslim minority is composed of three ethnic groups, in which the element of homogeneity is absent. More specifically, 50 percent of Thrace’s Muslims are of Turkish origin, 35 percent are Pomaks [1], and 15 percent are Roma people [2]. Each of the aforementioned groups has its own language and traditions. They have their own muftis, imams, mosques, cemeteries, schools, etc. But they are all united, mainly, in their strong connections with Turkey, such as joining Turkish universities, migrating into Turkey for work, etc.
Besides the first Turkish Muslim group there is another group of Muslims in Greece which includes immigrants who had settled in Greece during the last 40 years coming mainly form Arab countries and partly from other Islamic ones. These Muslims are doing all kinds of jobs all over this European country, not only as low-profession workers who are estimated at 90 percent of the total immigrant percentage. Some of these immigrants have better opportunities and work in high-professions, so there are doctors, scientists, professors, entrepreneurs, businessmen, and importers.
The last smallest group of Muslims consists of the converted Greek Muslims who embraced Islam after studying it, or after getting married to Muslims whereby they had the chance to meet Muslims and interact with them. Those were the three Muslim groups living in Greece with different characteristics and cultures and are estimated at 830,000.
Muslim Associations in Greece
The Association of Muslims in Greece (AMG) was established in 2003. It is the organization that brings together all Muslims from all over Greece. It is located in Athens, where about 700.000 Muslims live. The Association of Muslims in Greece exerts efforts to defend the Muslims’ rights in several fields, like having an official mosque and a Muslim graveyard, etc. Many Muslim citizens contribute to the AMG’s efforts including permanent residents who pay taxes to the Hellenic State, the legal immigrants, the university students, and also the political refugees. Even Sunnis and Shiite are united under the umbrella of the AMG while having the same demands for an official Hellenic Mosque and a common Muslim cemetery.
The History of Greek Mosques
Surprisingly, there is no official mosque in Greece up to the moment. However, there are some unofficial mosques in Greece which totally depend on the private efforts of the Muslims there. The first mosque in Athens was built in 1985 by the Sudanese Dr. Munir Abdelrasul in Goudi, a neighborhood of Athens; the second in 1989 by myself, Naim El-Ghandour, at Piraeus district; the third in 1989 by the Egyptian Mohiy Eldin in the center of Athens; the fourth in 1993 by the Palestinian Mazen Rassas at Neos Kosmos in Athens. Many mosques were established then and Greece now has 67 Islamic places for worship in Athens only. These mosques attract all Muslims from both Arab and non-Arab backgrounds, like the Persians, Greeks, Albanians, Sub-Saharan Africans, and European Muslims. The Greek State did not raise any objection against the private efforts of Muslims in building mosques as there is no other place for them to practice their religion.
Financing Mosques in Greece
The fundraisers of the places for worship are the owners and Muslims who spend a lot of money to cover the rent and other expenses. At Friday prayers, Muslims usually give alms to the mosque. In fact, sometimes the charity money is enough to cover the mosques’ expenses and sometimes it is not. All mosques in Athens are self-funded except for only one mosque which is funded from abroad since it belongs to the Federation of Islamic Organization in Europe (FIOE).
Efforts With the Governments
Few years ago, the Association of Muslims in Greece had many attempts to approach the government for the official mosque and the cemetery. Muslims communicated with the Ministry of Education and Religions and conducted several meetings regarding the needs of Muslims in Athens. Greek Muslims were mainly concerned with the following issues: how would a mosque in Athens operate harmoniously with all different nationalities and languages, and the demands of a mosque. Finally, the state greatly appreciated our proposal and we had a very satisfactory law that describes the Athens Mosque as a mosque built by the Greek state in cooperation with Greeks and EU funds. The government also stated that the mosque’s imam should be certified by an authorized university, like Al Azhar, to be considered officially as a civil servant with a two-year contract.
A Far-Fetched Dream
Unfortunately, after all these efforts and achievements, the Minister of Education and Religions was deposed in a ministerial change. So the whole project was delayed due to lack of information, another ministerial change, and a national need for the money dedicated to the mosque. Muslims’ claims are well known to the public, since they are always hosted in many TV and radio programs and ncluded in the coverage of all online and printed newspapers.
Muslims’ Gathering Events
Feast Prayer at Olympic Stadium
Twice a year on both Islamic `Eids, members of the Arab Muslim community gather in the Olympic stadium of Athens (OAKA) where they perform the `Eid prayers together, often headed by a famous imam from abroad. Greek Muslims of Pakistani origin also go to the SEF Stadium, another big Greek Stadium, due to the different languages, but once the Hellenic mosque is ready, Muslims from different backgrounds agree to meet there no matter which language will the majority adopt.
A Cemetery as Well
Muslims have been trying to achieve this goal since 2005. At that time, the former Archbishop Christodoulou announced that the Church of Greece donated a piece of land for Muslims to build their own cemetery on. The Association of Muslims in Greece got in contact with the Church, which is connected to the government, to proceed with this project. Many months followed, but the archbishop passed away, a new one was elected, and Muslims had to send new letters. The matter was no longer in the hands of the church but in the state’s. Many meetings were held where Muslims reassured their desire to have the cemetery very soon. When they felt that there were no steps taken, they addressed the Minister of Internal Affairs Mr. Prokopis Pavlopoulos and asked to meet him as Muslims consider this a matter of human dignity.
And Muslims’ efforts still go on…
Are you a Greek Muslim or a Muslim living there? What do you think of the Muslim status in Greece? How do you think Muslims can integrate into the Greek society while maintaining their Islamic identity?
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[1] An indigenous population that initially lost its native tongue and subsequently espoused Islam during the Ottoman occupation. They are also said to be a Bulgarian-speaking Muslim population group native to some parts of Bulgaria, specifically southern Bulgaria, and the adjacent parts of Greece and Turkey.
[2] An ethnic group with origins in South Asia who are widely dispersed with their largest concentrated populations in Europe.
Sources:
Hellenic Resources Network: Miscellaneous Greek News Sources. The Muslim Minority of Greek Thrace. April 1996.
Q/A: Why do you think you are different?
July 26, 2008
Question:
Hello everybody, I’m a Greek Orthodox Christian, and I wanna ask you, why do you think you’re different? I think we all are the same we are all humans and Greeks, and we’re not supposed to count each other different, I was shocked to see Greek Muslims think they are not Greeks or make their own websites as if they were different, I’ll tell ya, we’re all Greeks, athiests, Jews, Musilms or Christians, the most important thing to believe in Allah only! I speak Arabic very fluently, for Muslims who want help in this language, and I know a lot about Islam, so anyone needs help, I’m here : mesow@hotmail.com.
Answer:
Mesow, welcome to the group and thank you for asking us this important question. Yes, we have some similarities, but we are different.
- human beings (same)
- Greek culture (same)
- beliefs (different)
If you watch our video or browse through our blog posts, you will find undoubtedly that our posts are very different than what another Greek blogger would publish because we share different beliefs and therefore live different lifestyles. Hence, the need for our unique website.
Mesow, let me ask you this, if you believe in Allah (one true God) only, then why are you not a Muslim?
Note: others are free to comment as well.
