Update: obstructions again to the mosque and cemetery
April 25, 2010
Source: Ethnos.gr
© Translation Muslim Association of Greece
Translated by Elena Nikolova-Pouliasi
The subject that concerns the Muslims of Athens remains inactive and the construction of the mosque and cemetery still remain frozen despite the reassurance of the people responsible for that matter.
A deed between the Church and the State ‘for concession to use’ is the only thing that remains to be solved for the cemetery to start operating. The representatives of the Muslims say that the lack of coordination causes obstruction. The president of the Muslim Association of Greece, Mr. Naim Elghandour, expresses his concern while speaking with the ‘Ethnos’ newspaper.
Mr. Elghandour, on the topic of Shisto area, which was given by the Church of Greece and afterwards was considered inappropriate notes, “The proceedings are stuck again. We have received government reassurance that they are good intentions but again the issue is not proceeding. Last time we were told that we need to fill the space. We are willing voluntarily to take this project and fill the space!”
In Shisto, the Greek Church originally gave 30 acres of land for the cemetery, but the land was found inappropriate because it was bedrock and afterwards was given another land in the same area. Again the issue is not progressing.
“It is necessary to have several acres of land, as according to the Islamic religion three is digging, so it takes considerable space,” says Mr. Elghandour.
Moreover, to complete the process it is necessary to make an arrangement for the cemetery to be classified as inter-municipal, and therefore to be used by all Muslims in Athens.
However, the issue of the mosque seems to be frozen. Recently the move of the Navy base from Votanico was estimated to 2.5 million euros by the Ministry of Defence. In the same area of Votanicos there have been 17 acres in total allocated for the construction of the mosque.
According to reports, in a meeting held last Friday by the secretary of the Ministry of Education, Thalia Dragona, and the representatives of the Muslim Association of Greece, there were assurances regarding the government intention of the construction. But there we mentioned ‘bureaucratic reasons’ causing the obstruction.
“It is disappointing to know that the barriers for the construction are the lack of coordination between relevant institutions of the state,” says Mr. Elghandour to Ethnos newspaper who recalls that the relevant 15 million allocated have been disbursed.
According to those sources, the Muslims have pointed out another problem regarding an official Imam in Athens, preferably a university professor, who will call for prayer and teach the Quran in order to avoid any misinterpretations from people who have no formal approval or understanding. However, the Ministry of Education does not seem positively supportive to make such a decision.
In most cases, the dead are transported to Xanthi and Komotini.
Odyssey is the burrier of Muslims in Athens
The Muslim burial in Athens is an odyssey. In some cases the Egyptian Embassy of Athens takes responsibility to pay for the cost to transfer the body to Egypt. But in most cases the dead are transferred in Xanthi and Komitini where they are Islamic cemeteries to be buried, away from their families.
In Athens, on average of 10 Muslims die every month. The way that Muslims are buried is special, as the dead person is washed and taken care as a living body, then it is shrouded and buried in the ground without a coffin.
At least 30 spaces operate in Athens as informal mosques. In some cases they have been given penalty charges for the misuse of their premises. The prayer is performed by a Muslim with some Islamic knowledge, but there is no official imam. Sometimes they are recognised imams who visit Greece and perform prayers but that is done occasionally. There are two public prayers organised per year in Athens.
Friday Vonatsou
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)
