Greeks rethought and met each other!
August 29, 2009
Ramadan Timetable for Greece
Our next event: 6th September 2009
Greeks rethought and met each other!
Apprehensive, nervous, excited.
What was the matter? It was our first on line Paltalk gathering. After furious preparations with announcements, giving and receiving instructions of how to use Paltalk, and a lot more, the moment was here. Now we were actually going to hear and speak to our brothers and sisters who were to attend.
What was crossing my mind?
Is my Internet going to let me down? Am I going to overcome my apprehension and be clear and coherent? And am I going to choke and cough? This is the funny side. Sister Anna Stamou who hosted the event had a lot more to worry about. Being in Andros and having fires burning just across from where she was, was wondering if her power supply would be cut off. We all at the Greeks Rethink and Muslim Association of Greece team were holding our breath.
We were all so excited that the pre-gathering nerves and worries were forgotten. At last. Face to face and personal.
The gathering started with a short dua recited by Br. Naim Elghadour of MAG, then some simple instructions of the use of Paltalk by Br Amir, introductions and we were ready to start and get close and personal….
Sister Anna made everybody feel relaxed and the conversation was just like a river flowing. Also, sister Iman who was supposed to relax and did not, made everybody feel at ease with an amazing voice of a 17 year old (as she was complimented). Masha Allah.
We did not feel like strangers. We all (and I dare speak on behalf of everybody) felt that we knew each other so well.
We shared our stories and Ramadan experiences in our respective countries of residence. The Ramadan spirit and the relaxed mood made me share confidences and Br. Hayrullah was a marvelous shoulder to cry on and also loads of laugh. So much so that we asked him to host our next gathering coming soon.
I have to say that some of my fears became true. At the crucial point of introducing myself I got disconnected. But Alhamdulillah. It all went well. Till next time. Coming on the 6th September 2009. Please use the link for more information.
To the President and then to Euro Court
May 31, 2009
Source: Kathimerini
The Chairman of the Muslim Association of Greece Mr Naim Elghandour reveals through “K” the intention to appeal to the European Court if their demand for an Islamic Mosque in Athens is not met. “The time is running out ,putting as deadline the answer of The President of The Democracy in a related letter of the Union.
“The President of The Democracy is our last hope,” stresses Mr Elghadour “If there is no answer ,or if we see that despite his positive attitude ,still nothing is being done, the only way is The European Institution. 
However already via specific websites (such as the popular greeksrethink.com) Muslims who live in our country are in a race to mobilise their “brothers” abroad.
The Global Greek community is large and scattered in every corner of the globe(Canada, USA, UK, Australia and elsewhere.) “ We are asking for their support in our cause ” says the Chairman of MAG . “Initially just to ask the priest in their local parish if they would accept the creation of an Islamic Mosque in Athens.” Given recent statements by Archbishop Ieronymos who spoke about the obvious and inalienable right of every human being to freely worship his Lord. The Greek Muslims have secured a positive response from their priests.
“Listen! Things are simple” says Mr Elghandour. “ Thirty years have passed since allegedly started the construction of the Islamic Mosque but we are still at talks. I consider that the demand is not only ours but of every freedom loving person on the planet”.
Athens , a city in which live more than 700,00 Muslims , is the only European country without a Mosque and a Muslim Cemetery. For their worship needs the Muslims are served by app 100 informal mosques operating in various parts of the Capital , in apartments, garages, warehouses and basements. Even this way of exercising their religious duties is not without a hindrance. A few months ago the Prefecture in Athens fined the owner of a basement in Nea Ionia ,which was being used as an informal mosque 60,000 and 30,000 Euros as there was no special licence for the premises.
The decision sparked off one of the largest (up to then) mobilisation of Muslims in Athens involving more than 1000 believers demanding an official place of worship.
We all remember the strong opposition of the Municipality and of the residents of Paeania, when in 2000, by law 2833 it had been decided the construction of the Islamic Centre with the expenses to be borne by Saudi Arabia.
This project never materialised and the only reminder of the story is the cross on the slope of the mountain which continues to welcome those who leave the airport with Athens as their destination.
However neither the last chapter seems to have a happy ending for the Muslim community. This project which in 2006 passed in the Parliament according to which the Islami Mosque would be constructed at a naval base in Botanicals ( where at the moment there is a supermarket and offices of the Greek Navy) and gave provision to a series of safeguards to prevent such as the Imam being a civil servant.
In the beginning we were told that there were 57 acres.
From discussion to discussion and while ministers were changing the area kept on being reduced and finally it was down to 16 acres.
“Even if it is 16 acres or 16 yards , please let us built at last” pleads Mr Elghandour.
Difficult…….. The navy claims that it needs 5 million Euros to relocate , money that nobody is willing to spend. “ We told them that we can mobilise our people to find the money and give it to them but they replied that it ….sin. At the same time they can not find the money. In response to a recent question by a member of parliament, Mr Perikles Korovesi , the Defence Ministry said that they would investigate if the construction of the Islamic Mosque raises an issue of safety to the base.
“ Now all of a sudden they are afraid that the Muslims might go to the supermarket and steal macaroni and rice” says frowning The Chairman of MGA , Mr Elghandour. And the letter we have sent to the Minister of Education remains unanswered.
“The truth is that we have not fallen to zero. We have fallen below zero. And for you to know, the American Embassy and other International Human Rights Organisations have approached us asking about these problems and I have answered “ No thanks, there is the possibility that there is a mistake.” Because we are Greeks and we have no intention to expose our country or be reported in the state department.
“We love Greece. The problems are ours and we do not need “the neighbourhood” to know.
But this is not appreciated by the Government” concludes Mr Elghandour.
Fury of Muslims in Greece, Leading Where?
May 29, 2009
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http://www.islamonline.net For two subsequent days hundreds of Muslim immigrant demonstrators filled the streets in Athens protesting against an incident that a police officer had torn up a copy of the Holy Qur’an. The incidents caused different kinds of reactions and resurfaced the problematic status of the marginalized Greek Muslims.According to Mr. Naim El-Ghandour, President of the Muslims Association in Greece (MAG), there was an abrupt police raid on a Syrian café in Athens, across Nicolas Church Street. The clients were checked by Greek policemen who asked the immigrants to show their ID credentials. They also ordered the immigrants to take off their shoes, socks. They were thoroughly searched. However, nothing illegal was found and the immigrants proved to be legally residents of the country. Up to that point, nobody was to blame… During the raid, one of the Greek officers, whose identity is still anonymous, approached Mohammad, 24 years, speaks poor Greek, and asked him to empty his pockets. Worth mentioning that the Syrian café is a meeting and a recreational place for many Muslims in Athens. Among the belongings of the young man, the officer found a booklet with Arabic characters and asked what it was. “It is the Holy Qur’an, which I recite every morning and evening” Mohammad replied. “As you recite the Gospel, we have the Qur’an” he tried to explain. The police officer’s reaction to those words was that he tore the Holy Qur’an up, threw it on the floor, and stepped on it. One of his fellow officers asked him to stop because this was the Holy book of the Muslims, but in vain…
With a torn up version of the Holy Qur’an, the President of the Muslim Association of Greece headed for the closest police station and the Public Order and Safety (Ministry of Internal Affairs in Greece) and reported the sacrilege.
As a rejection to any kind of anti-religious freedom action, Mr. Evangelos Antonaros, the Deputy Government Spokesman, issued the following statement on May 22, 2009 (full statement is on the official website of the Ministry of Interior, Hellenic Government, click here): “The Greek State totally respects the religious freedom of everyone and distinctly convicts any kind of insult for such freedom, especially insulting sacred texts and symbols that are inextricable parts of any faith. Every action that is turned against the religious freedom of the others warrants total disapproval of the Greek society that traditionally accepts with hospitality people belonging to any race or religion, since they respect the laws of our country.”
“The fact that the police officer tore up the Qur’an and stepped on it is a major crime as far as Muslims are concerned,” Mr. Naim El-Ghandour explained.“The Qur’an is our sacred symbol and represents our Faith,” “It is a tremendous insult of the religious beliefs of people who have found themselves targeted by wars and islamophobia evoked against them even in Greece,” El-Ghandour highlighted with sorrow. On the governmental level, Mr. Christos Markogiannakis, the Deputy Minister of Inner Affairs stated that: “The General Police Administration of Athens is investigating this case in which a policeman is accused of insulting a religious symbol. The inquiry goes into depth and whoever is proven responsible for such act will be brought to justice. Escalating the Situation Moreover, Mr. Naim added that some of the small Left parties misused the situation by provoking the immigrants to demonstrate against the racist and oppressive acts of the police in St. Panteleimonas area. Demonstrations centred in the heart of Athens where those parties distributed posters with their claims, using the ripped part of the Qur’an as a trigger for violent reactions. Consequently, the Hellenic Government replied to those actions saying: “The incident is still under investigation. Yet, it does not justify the actions by some people who are determined to commit damages to civilians’ properties nor to engage in civil clashes causing injuries and disturbing severely the social and economical life of the city,” added Mr. Markogiannakis. On the other hand, Mr. Naim El-Ghandour stressed “the Muslim Association of Greece as well as the habitués of all mosques in Athens has refused to participate in any demonstration.” “We resort to the legal channels. We are waiting to recognize the name of the involved police officer in order to sue him. Of course we have every confidence in the Greek Judicial System. As the whole country faces depression and crisis, a reckless man commits an irresponsible action and creates a problem.
During his statement, Mr. Markogiannakis addressed the whole immigrant community saying: “We ask the legitimate immigrants who live in Greece to respect peace and order assuring that the State will not allow such extremist behaviors. Causes for the outrageous reaction “Many of the new immigrants are young, kids of 19, 20 years old, who have no jobs, face every day hunger, and have lots of problems..” Mr. El-Ghandour explained. Under such circumstances, the slightest provocation can cause an explosion and especially for a religious symbol. We should have mutual respect for each other’s religions. Everyone should treat the other’s sanctuaries with respect. The politicians need to speed up action and find a solution for the immigrants’ problems and we must learn to live together respecting each other,” he added.
On a broader level, all the political parties in Greece have condemned this incident. Characteristically, the PASOK Spokesman Giorgos Papakonstantinou pointed out that the “phenomena of humiliation and disrespect of the religious rights and the insult of symbols of any religion cannot be tolerated for any citizen; Greek or immigrant.”
The Pakistanis, Afghanis, and Bangladeshis participated in those demonstrations that lasted for two days and serious damages occurred: many stores, cars, bus stops were smashed. Many thieveries occurred; there were also injured policemen and immigrants. Again, the smell of tear gas and of the cocktail Molotov canisters was spread everywhere in Athens. Late at night, a small group of people set fire to a basement of a residential building where there was a prayer place, an unofficial mosque for the Bangladesh community. Four people were inside the prayer place at that hour and luckily they were not hurt. However, none was blamed for this terrorist act which was regarded as an act of revenge. Mohammed, the immigrant involved with the officer, having the torn version of the Holy Quran accompanied by Mr. Naim El-Ghandour, the president of Muslim Association of Greece, and represented by the distinguished attorney Frangiskos Ragousis filed a lawsuit at the Hellenic Courts on Monday May the 24th. All parties are waiting for the Court’s ruling… |
Press Release: The Muslim Association of Greece
May 26, 2009
Athens, 26th May 2009
The Muslim Association of Greece was present from the first instance the complaint of the ripped Qur’an was reported, when a policeman ripped and treaded on an immigrant’s Holy Qur’an during a police inspection. The complainant surrendered his ripped Qur’an straight to us and with this in hand we went to the police station, where we and the Colonel sent by GADA discussed the incident in detail.
We were assured by him that the name of the police officer involved in the incident will be released to us and that the police force strongly condemns actions such as those that offend the religious feelings of citizens. We stated that we will resort to legal action and that we will wait in good faith for the name of the police officer involved to be given to us before we file for a report.
We strongly condemn the incidents in Central Athens, assuring that our members did not participate in the events and instead we had moved towards defusing the situation as we had accepted the promise given to us by the police towards defusing the situation in good faith.
The media (MME) reported our position precisely and broadcasted the message to hundreds of thousands Muslims in the country and abroad stating that calm should prevail and we should allow the issue to be dealt by the law. We submitted to GADA the witness reports and data along with the ripped Qur’an and we continued waiting for the name of the police officer to be given to us before we officially proceed with the submission of our complaint to the courts.
On Tuesday 25th May 2009 we submitted to the court the complaint towards “Unknown.” We were pleased with that as we thought we are heading towards a solution of the problem even without us having the name of the police officer.
Unfortunately during the subsequent meeting between The President of The Muslim Association of Greece, Naim Elghnadour our Council Mr Francis Raghousi along with the Brigadier in charge of the case of GADA it became obvious that the police do not wish for a solution but for a continuation of the issue.
It was explained to us that the officer’s name will not be given, at least not in the near future and perhaps a month or more might lapse as the police officer has right to defer and defend.
As you understand this reverses our efforts for appeasement and it could possibly trigger reactions from the entire Muslim population in Athens, who in the meantime have been accepting our urge not to protest and seek solutions through the legal channels.
For this reason the Arabs in Athens will meet with The Muslim Association of Greece on Wednesday at 8.00pm to calmly discuss and plan their next move.
Any possible new peace moves will be made known at a later press release. We repeat that we condemn the incidents in Central Athens, the theft, the damages as we also condemn the violation and attack of religious symbols and sentiments of the people. We condemn the exploitation of a part of the immigrants by political parties, heightening religious faith, multiplying their sense of injustice resulting in uncontrollable consequences. The faith of a Muslim is the most precious possession he has, and we having our faith as driver live in harmony in the society here for decades.
We believe that the police incident was just an isolate incident .We would like to end this matter with a legal solution and not to be exposed and hanging as a result of the worrying delay by the police, and to the end issue by surrendering the personal details of the officer involved.
Thanking you
The Muslim Association of Greece
Aθηνα
26 Μαΐου 2009
Δελτίο Τύπου
Η Μουσουλμανική Ένωση Ελλάδας από την πρώτη στιγμή ήταν παρούσα στην καταγγελία του περιστατικού όπου αστυνομικός έσκισε και πάτησε το Κοράνι ενός μετανάστη κατά τη διάρκεια τυπικού ελέγχου. Το Κοράνι το παρέδωσε ο καταγγέλων στα χέρια μας και με αυτό πήγαμε στο αστυνομικό τμήμα όπου συζητήσαμε λεπτομερώς με τον συνταγματάρχη που απέστειλε η ΓΑΔΑ για αυτό το λόγο. Μας διαβεβαίωσε ότι τάχιστα θα μας δώσει το όνομα του αστυνομικού και πως η Ελληνική Αστυνομία καταδικάζει τέτοιες ενέργειες που προσβάλλουν το θρησκευτικό αίσθημα των πολιτών. Εμείς δηλώσαμε ότι θα προσφύγουμε στη δικαιοσύνη και πως καλή τη πίστει θα περιμένουμε από την αστυνομία να μας δώσει το όνομα προκειμένου να προχωρήσουμε στην κατάθεση της μήνυσης, έτσι ώστε να παρέλθει και η διαδικασία του αυτοφώρου, όλα αυτά καλόπιστα.
Καταδικάσαμε έντονα τα επεισόδια στο κέντρο της Αθήνας, τα μέλη μας δεν συμμετείχαν, αντίθετα κινηθήκαμε προς εκτόνωση του θέματος καθώς θεωρήσαμε δεδομένες τις υποσχέσεις της αστυνομίας ότι θα κινηθεί ανάλογα προκειμένου να οδηγηθούμε σε εκτόνωση. Τα ΜΜΕ κάλυψαν με ακρίβεια τις θέσεις μας και μετέδωσαν το μήνυμα στους εκατοντάδες χιλιάδες Μουσουλμάνους της χώρας αλλά και στο εξωτερικό που δηλώναμε ότι πρέπει να ηρεμήσουμε και να αφήσουμε το θέμα στα χέρια του νόμου.
Καταθέσαμε στην ΓΑΔΑ τις μαρτυρίες και τα στοιχεία μας καθώς και το σκισμένο Κοράνι, και αναμέναμε το όνομα του αστυνομικού προκειμένου να καταθέσουμε και επίσημα τη μήνυση στο δικαστήριο. Την Τρίτη 25 Μαΐου 2009 καταθέσαμε μήνυση κατ’αγνώστου και δηλώσαμε ικανοποιημένοι γιατί έτσι οδεύαμε προς λύση του ζητήματος έστω και χωρίς όνομα.
Δυστυχώς στη μετέπειτα συνάντηση του προέδρου της Μουσουλμανικής Ένωσης Ελλάδας Ναΐμ Ελγαντούρ και του συνήγορού μας κ. Φραγκίσκου Ραγκούση με τον ταξίαρχο της ΓΑΔΑ που έχει αναλάβει την υπόθεση, μας έγινε σαφές ότι η Αστυνομία δεν επιθυμεί λύση αλλά συνέχιση της παρούσας κατάστασης. Μας εξηγήθηκε πως δεν πρόκειται να μας δοθεί όνομα, σύντομα τουλάχιστον, ότι θα περάσει ίσως και ένας μήνας προκειμένου να απολογηθεί ο εν λόγω αστυνομικός καθώς έχει το δικαίωμα αναβολής.
Όπως αντιλαμβάνεστε αυτό ανατρέπει την προσπάθειά μας κατευνασμού και είναι δυνατό να πυροδοτήσει αντιδράσεις από το σύνολο του Μουσουλμανικού πληθυσμού της Αθήνας που μέχρι στιγμής δεν έχει διαδηλώσει καθώς ακολούθησε την προτροπή μας για λύση μέσω της νομικής οδού.
Για το λόγο αυτό οι Άραβες της Αθήνας θα συνεδριάσουν Τετάρτη ώρα 8μμ με τη Μουσουλμανική Ένωση Ελλάδας προκειμένου να σχεδιάσουν με ψυχραιμία τις επόμενες κινήσεις τους. Τυχόν ειρηνικές κινητοποιήσεις θα γίνουν γνωστές σε επόμενο δελτίο τύπου.
Επαναλαμβάνουμε πως καταδικάζουμε τ, τις φθορές, τις επιθέσεις, τις κλοπές, όπως καταδικάζουμε την καταπάτηση α επεισόδια στο κέντρο της Αθήναςκαι προσβολή των θρησκευτικών συμβόλων και αισθημάτων των πολιτών. Καταδικάζουμε την εκμετάλλευση μερίδας μεταναστών από πολιτικές κινήσεις εγείροντας την θρησκευτική τους πίστη πολλαπλασιάζοντας το αίσθημα αδικίας μέσα τους με ανεξέλεγκτες συνέπειες.
Η Πίστη του Μουσουλμάνου είναι ό,τι ακριβότερο διαθέτει και εμείς έχοντας οδηγό την Πίστη μας ζούμε αρμονικά στην κοινωνία εδώ και δεκαετίες. Πιστεύουμε ότι η ενέργεια του αστυνομικού ήταν ένα μεμονωμένο περιστατικό, θα θέλαμε να λήξει εκεί με τη νομική λύση και όχι να βρισκόμαστε εκτεθειμένοι και μετέωροι από την ανησυχητική καθυστέρηση της αστυνομίας να τελειώσει το ζήτημα αυτό δίνοντας επιτέλους τα στοιχεία του καταγγελόμενου αστυνομικού.
Ευχαριστούμε
Το Δ.Σ. της Μουσουλμανικής Ένωσης Ελλαδος
Επικοινωνία
Ναΐμ Ελγαντούρ
τηλ.6972 008214 – naim_elghandour@yahoo.gr
Operation broom: racism in all its glory
May 22, 2009
Source: Enet.gr
The “Operation Broom” of the Greek Police, a careless act and a torn up Qur’an brought to the streets hundreds of Muslims in Athens.
The night before last and during a police raid in an Arab Café in Aharnon St. in Athens, a meeting and a recreational point of the many Muslims of the city, a police officer smashed to pieces one of the very few things that support these people: ” Their Faith.”
Hundreds of Muslim immigrants gathered in Kypseli protesting against the insult towards their religion.
According to eye witnesses, a police team of about 7-8, who were yesterday patrolling the area of Agios Panteleimonas, entered at 9.00pm the specific café, which at the time was full and asked the patrons to produce their documents.
“They ordered them to take off their shoes, socks and they were searching everything,” say the immigrants, pointing out that the café has a good reputation and families often visit.
During the raid one of the police officers approached Mohammad, 24, who speaks poor Greek and asked him to empty his pockets.
The police officer among the belongings of the young man discovered a booklet with Arabic characters.
“What is this?!” he asked. “It is the Holy Qur’an, which I recite every morning and evening” he replied. “As you recite the Gospel, we have the Qur’an” he tried to explain. The police officer then snatched the Qur’an from the young man’s hands and ripped it to pieces.
“Don’t rip it man” shouted one of his fellow officers. “They can ….” He then shouted and threw the Quran on the floor. Later with a torn up Qur’an in their hands the representatives of Muslims in Greece addressed the Ministry of Public Order and Safety, reporting the abuse.
“This is the first time such an event has taken place in Greece and it should not be repeated” they replied.
Yesterday afternoon, when the incident was announced, large groups of Muslims gathered and marched in front of the A.T Kypselis at the junction of Thira and Patision.
In that position there were two MAT Squads. The assembly started shouting slogans, reacting and responding to the insult towards their religion, at the same time throwing some stones and rubbish resulting in the cause of some damage to one vehicle and one shop.
Bystanders reported that the police retaliated by throwing tear gas and chemicals aiming to move the demonstrators on, forcing them towards Omonoia Sq. to continue with their protest.
“The fact that the police officer tore up the Qur’an and stepped on it is a major crime as far as Muslims are concerned” says the Chairman of the Muslim Association of Greece, Naim El-Ghandour.
“The Qur’an is our symbol and represents our faith.” And a Muslim is only worth what his faith is worth. In the meantime communities and associations of immigrants from Arab countries (Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh) are calling in protest this afternoon. The movement “Abandon Racism is demanding an immediate dismissal of the police officer.
This demand is based on the laws of racial discrimination. They also demand an official apology by the Greek government.
“It is a tremendous insult of the religious beliefs of people, people who have found themselves targeted by wars and Islamophobia that follows them even in Greece.
“It seems that Pavlopoulos and Makrogiannakis were enough to encourage the police to take on literally a crusade against immigrants of Greece.
Anti Capitalistic Left Wing in cooperation with Anatropi ( ANT.A.R.SY.A) are talking about the racist and oppressive acts of the police in Agios Panteleiomonas.
As a Muslim Union, we from all the mosques have refused to participate in today’s protest march” says Mr. El-Ghandour. “We choose the legal channels. We are waiting to learn the name of the police officer involved in order that we follow the legal route. Of course we have every confidence in the Greek judicial system. As the whole country faces depression and crisis, an irresponsible man comes along commits an irresponsible act and creates a problem. Many of the new immigrants are young kids of 19, 20, who have no jobs, face every day hunger and have lots of problems…
For them in those circumstances the slightest provocation can cause an explosion. We should have mutual respect for each others religions. Every one should treat the other’s sanctuaries with respect. The politicians need to hurry and find a solution for the immigrants’ problems and we must learn to live together respecting each other.”
Athens: Muslims protest Koran destruction
May 22, 2009
Source: Reuters
Muslims protest alleged Koran destruction in Greece
Hundreds of Muslims marched through central Athens on Thursday, damaging shops and cars, to protest what they said was the destruction of a Koran by a Greek policeman.
The president of the Muslim Union of Greece, Naim Elghandour, said that during police checks at a Syrian-owned coffee shop on Wednesday, an officer took a customer’s Koran, tore it up, threw it on the floor and stomped on it.
In response, about 1,000 immigrants, many from Syria, Pakistan and Afghanistan, marched to central Omonia Square, smashing several shop windows and five cars, a police official said.
Police sources said an internal investigation was launched into the Koran incident.
“We were told by police we will be given the name of the policeman who did this so we can press charges,” Elghandour said.
Thousands of immigrants, many from Muslim countries, cross into Greece illegally every year seeking a better life in the West. Trapped in legal limbo, most have no jobs, live in squalid conditions and are often arrested for minor crimes.
On May 9, members of a rightist group attacked immigrants in Athens, sending at least three to hospital. Rights groups accuse predominantly Orthodox Christian Greece of not doing enough to protect immigrants.
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photo credit: (¯`·.¸¸.¤*¨¨*¤.๑۩۩۩๑Zeyneeep!
87.000€ fine: turning warehouse into mosque
May 1, 2009
Source: Ethnos (2 reports covered)
For the first time, the Prefecture of Athens fined a warehouse owner 87000€ because his Pakistani renters turned it into a prayer place. The owner objected to this decision and it will be re-estimated in the next week. This unique case of fining an unofficial mosque is related to the organized attacks to the Pakistanis of the area of New Ionia.
In the last 15 days, Pakistani immigrants were attacked by two groups and 19 people were injured, and for that reason an anti-racist protest was organized last Sunday.
The Pakistanis who had this unofficial mosque had worked hard to fix the place, to make it look like a decent place and they state that the decision of the prefecture was unfair, since there is no official mosque in Athens, and the only thing they claim is equal rights on religious freedom.
Mr. Arsent Sezar, in charge of N.Ionia mosque, states that since Christ is a prophet in Islam we are also “Christians”, if we do not believe in Jesus we cannot be Muslims.
The Official Athens Mosque Turns into a Soap Opera
“The government is fooling us! Five years now the ministries of Foreign Affairs, of Internal Affairs, of Education and Religions are sending us from a director to another while the policy of this government is not to even responding to our letters,” stated Naim El-Ghandour, president of the Muslim Association of Greece. “Now the Ministry of Defense is involved also because the place at Eleonas that we had agreed to may belong to them at last. If we don’t have a satisfactory solution, we are thinking of going to the European court of human rights”.
The history of the official mosque goes back to 2000 when the decision was for a mosque with a religious cultural center funded by the Saudi Arabian kingdom but this plan failed.
The second circle of negotiations started when Minister Giannakou stated that she had no request from the Muslims for an official mosque. Then the Muslim Association of Greece sent a full report for the construction of Athens mosque.
Thousands of faithful Muslims in Attica remains roofless. Despite of the promises, Athens is the only European capital that has no mosque and no cemetery. More than 100 praying places exist in Athens in undergrounds, and miserable apartments downtown.
87.000 ευρώ πρόστιμο από τη Νομαρχία γιατί η αποθήκη έγινε τζαμί
Eξοντωτική καμπάνα επιβλήθηκε σε ιδιοκτήτη στη Nέα Iωνία, επειδή οι Πακιστανοί ενοικιαστές της έκαναν το υπόγειο άτυπο τέμενος
ΑΣTEΓH» παραμένει η πίστη για χιλιάδες μουσουλμάνους που διαμένουν στην Aττική. Παρά τις υποσχέσεις και τις δεσμεύσεις των εμπλεκόμενων φορέων, η Aθήνα παραμένει εν έτει 2009 η μοναδική ευρωπαϊκή πρωτεύουσα που δεν διαθέτει επίσημο μουσουλμανικό τέμενος.
Oι 700.000 μουσουλμάνοι που υπολογίζεται ότι διαμένουν σε Aθήνα και Πειραιά αναγκάζονται να «στεγάσουν» την προσευχή της Παρασκευής σε υπόγειες αποθήκες και άθλια διαμερίσματα στο κέντρο. Περισσότεροι από 100 χώροι λατρείας λειτουργούν στην Aττική, οι οποίοι νοικιάζονται ως γραφεία που μετατρέπονται σε… τζαμιά.
H κατάσταση αυτή αρχίζει να έχει κι άλλες…παρενέργειες. Για πρώτη φορά, η Nομαρχία Aθηνών επέβαλε πρόστιμο ύψους 87.000 ευρώ σε ιδιοκτήτη αποθήκης, επειδή το ακίνητό του είχε μετατραπεί από τους Πακιστανούς ενοικιαστές του σε άτυπο τζαμί.
Tη λειτουργία του τζαμιού στη Nέα Iωνία κατήγγειλαν οι ένοικοι της πολυκατοικίας, στο υπόγειο της οποίας στεγάζεται. Tο πρόστιμο επέβαλε η Διεύθυνση Πολεοδομίας Bορείου Tομέα Nομαρχίας Aθηνών τον περασμένο Δεκέμβριο για αυθαίρετη «αλλαγή χρήσης της αποθήκης σε χώρο όπου συναθροίζονται άτομα για τελετή θρησκευτικών καθηκόντων».
O ιδιοκτήτης, σε βάρος του οποίου χρεώθηκε το ποσό, αλλά και οι ενοικιαστές υπέβαλαν ένσταση και η υπόθεση αναμένεται να εξεταστεί εκ νέου την ερχόμενη εβδομάδα.
Πρόκειται για τη μοναδική περίπτωση επιβολής προστίμου σε άτυπο χώρο λατρείας μουσουλμάνων που, όπως καταγγέλλουν οι Πακιστανοί της περιοχής, σχετίζεται με τις πρόσφατες οργανωμένες επιθέ σεις σε βάρος τους.
Συλλαλητήριο. Tις τελευταίες 15 μέρες, τουλάχιστον 19 μετανάστες χτυπήθηκαν με σιδηρογροθιές από δύο ομάδες που δρουν οργανωμένα με αυτοκίνητα και μηχανές. Για τον λόγο αυτόν μάλιστα, σήμερα Kυριακή στις 5 το απόγευμα, πρόκειται να πραγματοποιηθεί αντιρατσιστικό συλλαλητήριο στο KEΠ της Nέας Iωνίας.
«Eίμαι 36 χρόνια στην Eλλάδα, έχω την ελληνική υπηκοότητα, είμαι φορολογούμενος πολίτης και πιστεύω πως δικαιούμαι να προσεύχομαι σε ένα αξιοπρεπές μέρος, χωρίς να με κυνηγάει κανείς και χωρίς να χρειάζεται να κρυφτώ σε ανήλιαγα υπόγεια», συμπληρώνει ο Nαΐμ Eλγαντούρ.
Είμαστε πρώτα χριστιανοί, μετά μουσουλμάνοι
O κ. Aρσέντ Σεζάρ δείχνει τον μαυροπίνακα στο άτυπο τζαμί στη Nέα Iωνία. Εκεί γράφουν τα έσοδα και τα έξοδα του τζαμιού κάθε μήνα, έτσι ώστε να κανονίσουν πόσα χρήματα θα δώσει ο καθένας.
MEXPI να ανεγερθεί τζαμί στην ευρύτερη περιοχή του Λεκανοπεδίου, οι μουσουλμάνοι της Aττικής φαίνεται πως θα αντιμετωπίζουν τις δυσκολίες με όποια μέσα διαθέτουν. Στη Nέα Iωνία, οι πιστοί πληρώνουν από το υστέρημά τους το ενοίκιο της παλιάς αποθήκης που έχουν «μεταμορφώσει» σε ιερό χώρο.
«Oταν ήρθαμε εδώ, βρήκαμε μια παραμελημένη αποθήκη. Σιγά σιγά, με προσωπικό κόπο και μεράκι, την κάναμε τόπο λατρεί ας και τη διατηρούμε καθαρή.
Γι’ αυτό θεωρούμε άδικο το πρόστιμο που μας επέβαλε η Nομαρχία. Aς μας φτιάξουν ένα επίσημο τζαμί και δεν θα χρειάζεται να ενοχλούμε κανέναν», μας λέει ο 46χρονος Aρσέντ Σεζάρ, ιδιοκτήτης καταστήματος ρούχων που προσεύχεται συχνά στο άτυπο τζαμί.
Δικαιώματα. «Oι περισσότεροι από εμάς ζούμε πολλά χρόνια στην Eλλάδα και έχουμε φτιάξει οικογένειες. Δεν θέλουμε να δημιουργούμε προβλήματα, απλώς διεκδικούμε το δικαίωμά μας στην ανεξιθρησκία.
Nα ξέρετε πάντως ότι είμαστε πρώτα χριστιανοί, αφού ο Xριστός είναι προφήτης στο Iσλάμ. Eάν δεν πιστεύουμε στον Xριστό, δεν μπορούμε να είμαστε μουσουλμάνοι!», εξηγεί.
No Authorized Imam in Greece?!!
April 23, 2009
Source: IslamOnline.net
After several attempts to uncover the Muslims’ status in Greece, IslamOnline.net (IOL)’s Euro-Muslims Page is shedding the light on the role of Greek imams as an alternate solution to many challenges they face in their way to integration into their European society while maintaining their religious Islamic identity.
For that purpose, IslamOnline.net (IOL)’s Euro-Muslims Page hosted Mr. Naim EL-Ghandour, President and Co-founder of the Association of Muslims in Greece, in a Live Dialogue session on April 6, 2009, to talk to IOL’s audience on the status of imams in Greece.
Naim El-Ghandour was born in Egypt in 1955 and has been living in Greece since 1974. He has the Hellenic citizenship and is a successful businessman. El-Ghandour dreams of seeing the Athens Mosque and the Muslim Cemetery in Athens and he exerted all his efforts for these two main projects.
Accordingly, he has proposed many requests to the Greek Government asking for the Muslims’ rights to have their own official Mosque and cemetery in Greece. His attempts are still going on.
In a response to a question from IOL’s audience during his Live Session about the mosques and its role in Greece, Mr. Naim said, “We, the larger Muslim community, are exceeding 700,000 only at the capital Athens, but we have no official mosque, just unofficial places to pray. We are fighting hard to have our own official Athens mosque and cemetery and en shaa Allah we will succeed. It is essential for us to have a mosque.”
IOL’s audience also raised an important question on what can be done to make it easier for immigrants to feel accepted in the Greek community. Our guest replied, “Greece is the number one destination for the illegal immigrants of Europe, and this is very difficult for all. But education is above our strength as the Muslim countries are not contributing, they may have not realized the current situation in Greece. At a governmental level, we are trying to start contact between the Greek state and the Muslim states to allow Islamic education to be a subject taught at schools.”
What does the Greek Muslim community lack in your opinion? Do you agree with El-Ghandour on his views on Greek Muslims’ challenges?
Read the full Live Dialogue, if you have any comment or suggestion for the coming Live Dialogues’ guests and topics, please write them below or email them to Euro_Muslims@iolteam.com
Greeks Rethink note: click through to the article to find some juicy comments by the visitors!
Athens: 400.000 euro towards another mosque
April 15, 2009
Source: Enet.gr
Muslims from the Bangladeshi community have raised 400.000 euro so far out of 550.000 euro to purchase the building and reconstruction for a new mosque, “Al Jabbar”, behind the town hall of Athens.
The money comes from either donations or small-interest free loans from young members of the community.
“The members of the community are mostly workers and small traders, who support the exercise of their compatriots to build their own place of worship. Many of these people are those who we see standing at the lights cleaning windows”, says the chairman of the Muslim Association of Greece, Naim El-Ghandour.
In the same way, it is likely to move, as he says, the chairman of the Muslim Association of Greece, and other immigrant communities who live in Athens. But this is something that worries the Muslim representatives, since instead of a large mosque, three or four will be built as small spiritual centres and more without the cooperation of the Greek authorities.
Φτιάχνουν τζαμί πίσω από το Δημαρχείο
Το «γκέτο» του κέντρου πίσω από το Δημαρχείο της Αθήνας εξελίσσεται και, όσο και αν φαίνεται παράδοξο, βρίσκεται στο κέντρο της προσοχής. Χωρίς κραυγές και με χαμηλούς τόνους, η κοινότητα των μουσουλμάνων από το Μπανγκλαντές σχεδιάζει το δικό της τζαμί.
Η «Al Jabbar» είναι η θρησκευτική οργάνωση των μεταναστών από το Μπανγκλαντές, που ζουν στην Αθήνα και ανέρχονται σε περίπου 45.000. Στη συντριπτική τους πλειονότητα είναι μουσουλμάνοι και, όπως και όλοι οι ομόθρησκοί τους στην Αττική, δεν έχουν ούτε τζαμί για να προσεύχονται ούτε νεκροταφείο για να θάβουν τους νεκρούς τους.
Η «Al Jabbar», όμως, ανέλαβε μια πρωτοβουλία όπως έκανε πριν από δύο χρόνια η αραβική κοινότητα των μουσουλμάνων της Αθήνας, που κατασκεύασε ένα πολιτιστικό κέντρο στο Μοσχάτο, που χρησιμεύει σαν τζαμί. Προετοιμάζει την ανοικοδόμηση του δικού της χώρου λατρείας σ’ ένα κτίριο που θα δημιουργηθεί και επίσημα θα ονομάζεται πολιτιστικό κέντρο.
400.000 ευρώ
Al Jabbar σημαίνει «Ο Κραταιός» και οι Μπανγκλαντεσιανοί, το εννοούν με τον δικό τους τρόπο. Προχώρησαν στην αγορά ενός κτιρίου στην οδό Αισχύλου 37, έναν κάθετο δρόμο της οδού Ευριπίδου. Το εντυπωσιακό είναι ότι ήδη συγκέντρωσαν 400.000 από τα 550.000 ευρώ από τον προϋπολογισμό που έχουν κάνει για την αγορά του κτιρίου και ένα μέρος της ανοικοδόμησής του. Τα χρήματα προέρχονται είτε από μικρές δωρεές είτε από μικρά άτοκα δάνεια των μελών της κοινότητας.
«Τα μέλη της κοινότητας είναι κυρίως εργάτες και μικροί έμποροι, που στηρίζουν το εγχείρημα των συμπατριωτών τους για να αποκτήσουν τον δικό τους χώρο λατρείας. Είναι και πολλοί από εκείνους τους ανθρώπους που καθημερινά βλέπουμε να στέκονται στα φανάρια και να καθαρίζουν τζάμια», λέει ο πρόεδρος της Μουσουλμανικής Ενωσης Ελλάδας, Ναΐμ Ελ Γαντούρ, στην «Ε», που γνωρίζει το θέμα, καθώς η κοινότητα των Μπανγκλαντεσιανών ζήτησε τη βοήθειά του για τη συγκέντρωση των 150.000 ευρώ που απομένουν.
Απευθύνθηκαν, δηλαδή, στην κοινότητα των Αράβων μουσουλμάνων, ζητώντας χρήματα με τη μορφή μικρών άτοκων δανείων. Δηλαδή ποσά των 10, 20 ή και 100 ευρώ ανάλογα με τις δυνατότητες του καθενός. Αφού το κτίριο έρθει στην κατοχή τους, θα προχωρήσουν στην ανοικοδόμησή του ή θα κάνουν τις απαραίτητες αλλαγές για τη διαμόρφωσή του. Για το σκοπό αυτό άνοιξαν λογαριασμό σε τράπεζα και έχουν κάνει μια ανακοίνωση στους χώρους λατρείας των Αράβων μουσουλμάνων στην Αττική.
Με τον ίδιο τρόπο, είναι πιθανόν να κινηθούν, όπως λέει ο πρόεδρος της Μουσουλμανικής Ενωσης, και οι άλλες κοινότητες μεταναστών που ζουν στην Αθήνα. Αυτό, όμως, είναι κάτι που ανησυχεί τους εκπροσώπους των μουσουλμάνων, αφού αντί ενός μεγάλου τζαμιού ή τριών, τεσσάρων μικρών θα ανεγερθούν ως πνευματικά κέντρα περισσότερα και χωρίς τη συνεργασία των ελληνικών αρχών.
Ολα αυτά συμβαίνουν την ώρα που την τελευταία δεκαετία ψηφίστηκαν δύο νόμοι για την ανέγερση τζαμιού, ενώ έγινε και η επιλογή του χώρου. Αρχικά είχε επιλεγεί η Παιανία και τελευταία ο Ελαιώνας. Ωστόσο το θέμα έχει παγώσει, καθώς αν και το υπουργείο Παιδείας έχει στη διάθεσή του 15.000.000 για την ανέγερση τζαμιού, τίποτα δεν έχει γίνει μέχρι τώρα. Και αυτό διότι ο χώρος που προορίζεται για την ανέγερση τζαμιού ανήκει στο υπουργείο Αμυνας, που διεκδικεί χρήματα για να μεταφέρει τις εγκαταστάσεις του.
Οσο για το μουσουλμανικό νεκροταφείο, η κατάσταση είναι ακόμη χειρότερη, καθώς αν και η Εκκλησία φαίνεται να έδωσε οικόπεδο στην περιοχή του Σχιστού, τίποτα δεν έχει προχωρήσει. Η Μουσουλμανική Ενωση Ελλάδας, σύμφωνα με τον πρόεδρό της, Ναΐμ Ελ Γαντούρ, σε όποιον και αν έχει απευθυνθεί, δεν έχει λάβει σαφή απάντηση, εκτός από υποσχέσεις και δεσμεύσεις ότι σε σύντομο χρονικό διάστημα τα προβλήματα θα λυθούν.
tsath@enet.gr
Greek Muslims majority at European camp
April 14, 2009
Source: IslamOnline.net
Article: EU Muslim Converts Sharing Experiences (at NEMA Camp in Turkey)
“Participants are coming from different European countries, but Greek Muslim participants represent the majority.”
Imagine 60 native European Muslims to gather in one place for four days to discuss, learn, and seek beneficial inspiration for overcoming any challenges facing them as European Muslim reverts – that is what the Native European Muslim Assembly (NEMA) current camp looks like.
As one of the associations of the Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe (FIOE), NEMA organizes its second annual meeting for EU Muslim converts in Istanbul. The camp, which started on April 10 and lasted for three days, aimed at reinforcing a European-scale network for the new Muslims.
“NEMA has already held two important meetings; the first took place in Brussels which aimed at getting accurate view of new Muslims, determining the main challenges, and setting an action plan for NEMA’s task while the second one was in Birmingham, UK, where the reverts’ monitors had a series of training sessions,” said Dr. Hany El-Deeb, NEMA’s president.
“This project came very late as it should have been launched years ago,” said Dr. Ayman Ali, FIOE’s secretary general,referring to NEMA’s recent launch that was founded after the FIOE’s New Muslims Committee (NMC)’s workshop in May, 2007.
Inspiring Models
Over the four-day camp, EU reverts are presenting their successful experiences to set models for the other participants.
Nourdeen Wilderman, a Dutch lecturer within the Dutch Islamic Ummah, is one of the converted presenters who came to Istanbul to share his inspiring experiences with others. His range of activities included delivering speeches, interacting with the media and acting as a stand-up comedian.
Wildeman’s presentation was mainly tackling his well-developed project: “Masjid Finder”, which he hoped to expand with the help of fellow Muslims. Speaking about his project, which serves as a good example for a Da’wah effort carried out by a proactive revert according to NEMA, he says, “My project provides a detailed database of Mosques in the Netherlands.”
“By car, I have visited more than 250 mosques in the Netherlands to confirm their addresses, the services they offer, the languages they use in Friday khutbas, and more detailed information.”
Wildeman, who was officially converted to Islam in December2007, got his project’s idea from what he used to experience when googling the mosques in his region.
“I used to follow the information available online, but unfortunately it was usually out of date.”
Greek Muslims Rethink
Participants are coming from different European countries, but Greek Muslim participants represent the majority.
“The group of Greek Muslims who came here not only for the camp’s activities, but also to discuss serious issues of the Muslim affairs in Greece,” said Naim Al-Ghandour, president of the Muslim Association of Greece who takes part in the camp.
The Greek Muslim group has managed to create a team that would work hard on solving the Muslims’ problems in Greece. The meeting was coordinated by Greeks Rethink, member of the Muslim Association of Greece. “It is absolutely necessary for our team to act radically since the Muslim population in Greece is constantly increasing.”
Networking
While Dr. Jamal Badawi’s lectures were advantageous for many participants who came to learn from him how to respond to controversial questions and how to deal with other non-Muslims in general, networking also was of interest to many of the camp attendants.
“I am attending the camp to do networking with other European converts,” says Alser Ebroothaers, a Belgian Muslim convert. Ebroothaers, who has been a Muslim for almost a year, is looking forward to getting connected with new converts through the camp as she worked with a Belgian organization for converted women. She wants to see how her organization can expand and reach out to new converts in Europe through making use of others’ previous experiences and collaboration.
Non-Membership NEMA
As one of the projects that was founded and operated under the umbrella of the FIOE’s Da`wah department, NEMA camp’s organizers were keen to involve Dr. Jamal Badawi in the camp. Dr. Badawi is a prominent Muslim Canadian scholar and a member of the Islamic Juridical [Fiqh] Council of North America, the European Council of Fatwa and Research and the International Union of Islamic Scholars.
At the camp, a couple of lectures are given by Dr. Badawi on different issues that have to do with European Muslim converts, such as converts’ isolation and the way of integration, balanced Islam, how to deal with controversial questions about Islam, etc.
“This camp is our first experience in gathering Muslim converts from different European countries at the same place and time,” declares Wanees Mabrook, head of the Dua`wah department in the FIOE.
Both Mabrook and Al-Deeb insist that NEMA be a non-membership organization that offers services to any native European Muslims. “We felt happy when we knew that we helped any convert on an educational or a social basis.”
Converts’ challenges range from social, spiritual, to educational ones. Such gatherings are seen as “turning points” in their path to become active European Muslims who can serve their Muslim Ummah and their local European communities.
In your opinion, what are the challenges which the European Muslim converts face? How can they get encouraged to overcome those challenges? Do you think sharing experiences through such camps and events can help them positively?
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Radwa Khorshid is an editor in the Euro-Muslims Zone at IslamOnline.net. She is a graduate of the Department of English Studies, Faculty of Law, Cairo University. You may contact her at radwa.khorshid@iolteam.com.
