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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.

For those of you who missed it, you can read the questions and answers at the link below. Topics about Muslims in Greece include the imam’s role, the make-up of Muslims, the issues of the mosque and cemetery and religious freedom etc.

View the dialogue

The first mosque in Kalamata, Greece, “Quba”, has opened on March 13, 2009 and is hosting approximately 1000 Muslims mostly comprising of Syrians and Egyptians.  The hall, which is 150m², gathers Muslims to pray, discuss, learn and educate their children.

This is a very important step for the Muslim community in Greece to unite, form associations and acquire acceptance, respect and religious freedom from the Greek society. 

Although the people of Kalamata have lived in harmony with the Muslim population for many years, there was no prayer location up until now. 

The Muslim Association of Greece visited them yesterday to welcome its new members and guest Imam at the Friday prayer and sermon.

The name and the activities of their association will be announced in the near future.

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.

I found this article to be quite interesting considering I didn’t even know there were that many mosques in Bulgaria to begin with! 

Source:  Adnkronos.com   

Published Date: September 24, 2008

Bulgaria’s highest Muslim authority has announced the closure of 200 mosques due to a lack of religious leaders or imams to lead prayers.

“Although the number of faithful has grown, we are forced to close the mosques due to a lack of religious leaders,” said Bulgaria’s Grand Mufti, Mustafa Haji.

“Many years of Communist rule and a lack of funds are the reasons for this crisis,” he said.

Bulgaria has 1,500 mosques, but only 900 are currently open to the faithful and 200 of those are likely to be shut down indefinitely.

Bulgaria has 8.7 million inhabitants, of whom 12 percent are Muslim. The country joined the European Union in January last year.

Most Muslims in the country are Bulgarians of Turkish origin that have been living in the area since the time of Ottoman rule from the late 14th until the late 19th century.