Prayer on the sidewalk
August 29, 2010
Source: Protagon
By Naim Elghandour
Ramadan in Athens for the 37th time. It started on August 11 with the sweltering heat and will end on September 10th. The first days of adjustment are always harder as the rhythms of life do not change despite the fasting from sunrise to sunset.
Late evening before August 15th, after having iftar at home, which is the dinner that breaks the fast, I took Sheikh Mohammed, a respectful imam from Al Azhar university to go and pray at Piraeus. Al Andalus is the name of the praying place but it does not remind me anything of the glory of Andalusia as it is an underground warehouse on Filonos street in the heart Trouba where we pray for the last 17 years.
As we go down and go inside, in the first five minutes the sweat is running like a river. My breath stopped and the 60 year old imam who came from upper Egypt who can [usually[ bear the heat was ready to collapse. He told me that his sweat was dripping under his face all the way down to his socks. Why???
I was in despair because I am responsible for all these people who come to pray. I prayed that the temperature falls a bit to avoid the ambulances. You cannot put ventilation in this place nor air condition because it has no window. It is a hole under the ground.
We finished our prayer as [best] we could and when we went up to the surface I realized that this cannot happen again. The temperature at 11pm was 37°C and who knows about the humidity, it was suffocating even in open air.
The day after, I informed the state security that we were going to pray on the sidewalk outside of the “mosque” and that it is better to bring us a police car than to be taken by ambulances.
Sunday at 10 in the night all prayer mats were laid down on the sidewalk of Filonos street and the few people that walked by were surprised. Of course we did not bother anyone, all stores were closed. But we were alert, you never know what could happen, but the prayer was more humane in those hot days.
And I am thinking: What does a man have to go through to praise God as He deserves? My little kids were crying to take them with me earlier, but where can I take them?
Sometimes I take them to the Neos Kosmos garage that has better ventilation and they play with the other kids. There, the older kids are learning how to pray and the little ones imitate the grownups and then they start chasing each other and laugh, but we are always underground. When we finish, I buy them ice cream.
This is how Ramadan is in our great city.
———
Translated by: Anna Stamou
Me Allah and you…bureaucracy
August 21, 2010
The adventures and the backward steps for the establishment of the Athens mosque
Source: Vima Newspaper
By Mariniki Alevizopoulou
“If today we are able to ask the Greek prime minister ‘when we will open the Athens mosque?’ that happens thanks to the steps we made,” stated the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan allying the nationalistic groups in his country.
At the same time the Christian pilgrims were attending the historical service at the remains of Holy Mary Soumela of Pontus, for the first time after 88 years. A few days before some other nationalistic groups had desecrated the graves of a Muslim cemetery in Komotini. Those two facts made the Turkish prime minister feel ‘one step in front of the Greeks’ causing discomfort (and) of the Muslims that live in Greece.
“If the government looked this matter of the mosque with greater seriousness, they wouldn’t have pressure via statements from abroad,” responds the almost disappointed president of the Muslim Association of Greece Mr. Naim Elghandour and continues, “Everything was ready since 2006. Even the funds were there; 15 million euro are in the treasury of the Ministry of Education since that time. This is important to emphasize that in a so crucial financial period for Greece. Maybe part of this money comes from EU.”
The blame is not only on the backward steps of the political will and the political timing that almost four years have passed without a step. The mosque is one but the authorities that are involved in the construction are endless: foreign ministry, education ministry, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Finance and the City of Athens are all basic players. And the Greek bureaucracy is there at every step.
Meanwhile the square footage of the mosque, that he and the thousands of religious Muslims that live in our country are waiting from 2006 to be constructed, are decreasing. “In the beginning the measurements in the blueprint from the general secretary of the minister of education Mrs. Marietta Giannakou, was 56.000m². At the next meeting, it became 42, the governments change and I make a third meeting to drop at 24 and we reached today 16.000m².”
The objections came from the Church. “Since the first moment that the construction of the mosque came up, the Holy Synod had not an opposite opinion. And that because every human has the right of religious freedom where worship is included, which is a respectful right and is entrenched by the constitution,” states the representative of the Holy Synod, Bishop of Nafpaktos Ierotheos. “In fact, at the same time, in an action of good will the Church bestowed for use 30.000m² from its land in Shisto to create a Muslim cemetery.” The truth is that in the plans of the new Christian cemetery in Shisto, in order to cover the needs of the municipalities of Piraeus and Moshato, was from the beginning a plan for a Muslim cemetery in this area.
Then everything changed. “The Church objected at the establishment of an Islamic educational center,” clarified Mr. Ierotheos. “The concern of the Archbishop Christodoulos was intense for such a center because centers like that promote not only the religious teachings but also political propaganda.”
The area for the cemetery at Shisto finally was found unsuitable because of the terrain, the Islamic center was found “dangerous” and somehow the discussion (and the concern) came back to the mosque. “The law of 2006 at the first New Democracy party government was zoning the mosque at a part of Eleonas. At the second government of Karamanlis, under the authority of his office was formed a committee where we as City of Athens were participating, because this area belongs to the Ministry of National Defense and is characterized as a ‘navy fort’ but it must become a green park and come to the authority of the City of Athens,” states Mrs. Tasia Lagoudaki, topographer of the City of Athens.
Things already became complex without calculating the reef of National Defense ministry, that owns the “navy fort” based on a royal order. “In fact it is a garage with five buses,” Mr. Elghandour supports and continues. “The defense ministry is compromised with 5 million euro and 10 month time to relocate the navy. While the minister was Mr. Meimarakis (and after a formal question of PM Pericles Korovesis in the parliament) he asked initially 68 million (!). We proposed to go out with coupons – not from abroad, we do not want foreign money to build the Athens mosque, we want the Greek state to control it, to gather money from the immigrants and from the Greek Muslims.” This proposition was not accepted and the last elections came.
When will we come out of the underground garages?
“After the first 100 days of the new government and particularly the 110th day I sent a letter to the Defense ministry because the problem is with them. As a Greek who has served the Hellenic army I have the courage to complain,” notes Mr. Naim Elghandour who lives 38 years in our country. As a result they invited me and went with all data in hands. For the time being the only movements you can observe are statements before the visit of the prime minister to a country that is in danger to be asked for the mosque, and endless calls from foreign and domestic press to my phone for the development of the mosque. I do not want to harm the image of Greece abroad. At “Focus” I did not respond to them after the front cover with Aphrodite with the finger. Does anyone appreciate that? Will our children ever come out of the underground garages, and now that we have Ramadan with 40°C we are risking to be carried by the ambulances?” he wonders.
The adventure started at 1996
The adventures of the mosque in Greece, as states at “Vima” the vice president of the government Mr. Theodore Pangalos, have their roots way back. “This story started at 1996 by my initiative and based in two thoughts. Firstly that we are the only European country that has not a mosque and secondly that in Athens that time were gathered about 50.000-60.000 without an official and established place to perform their religious duties, when in all Muslim countries there are Orthodox Churches even in Teheran.”
That time as a foreign minister he prepared a draft law describing the establishment of a Muslim religious and cultural institution in the Hellenic capital. “The Greek state would have the control, the majority of the funds would be ours but we would accept contributions from countries that were willing to do so. At that time Arab countries as Saudi Arabia and Egypt showed interest. The Institution would include a library, a place of worship and a place of gathering as in weddings, for example, men and women celebrate separately.” The plan proceeded for Peania.
“The Archbishop of that time had stated his approval, the mayor of Peania the same, the Arabs as well.” But on 1999 Mr. Pangalos left the foreign ministry with Otsalan case and somewhere there “the plan was abandoned and the reactions started.”
MAG press release: Israel murders civilians
May 31, 2010
Gaza is bleeding and so are the people who support and love Gaza, but this time literally.
The Muslim Association of Greece highly condemns the hijacking of the unarmed freedom flotilla by the Israeli Navy in international waters. Thanks to the indifference of the world opinion, we were led to this bloody attack resulting in tragic deaths of passengers and dozens of other injured activists who were armed with nothing else but the sense of hope, justice, and the determination of a free Mediterranean.
We have actively participated since the beginning of the movement with plenty of tireless volunteers. The president, Naim Elghandour was on board of the cargo ship, Free Mediterranean, representing all of us.
People from every corner of the world, every age, ideology and status and religion have united for a just cause and now others are dead, others are wounded and some are prisoners. In the holds of the ship are dozens of electric wheelchairs for the disabled, prefabricated homes, desalination systems, building materials, and medical supplies which will never reach the receipts in Gaza who are in dire need.
Amongst the six ships of the “Freedom Flotilla” two Greek vessels and crews, the Free Mediterranean and Sfendoni were severely attacked in international waters as they also witnessed the bringing down of the Greek flag and its humiliation which is something that frightens us.
At least 4o Greek poeple are missing with Israel being the only one able to give us answers. Indeed, these are the very same poeple that killed so many civilians. How reliable can their data be and what is the fate of the hundreds activists?
The international community must act now because today civilians were killed while fighting in the name of liberty.
We express our sincerest condolences to the families of the victims, dead, wounded and prisoners and we dearly wish that one day Gaza will stop bleeding and the Mediterranean will be free.
——
Photo taken from aljazeera.net.
Erdogan visits Greece on a Friday but no mosque
May 16, 2010
Source: Today’s Zaman (Turkey News)
‘Mosque in Athens a bitter story, but hopefully one with a happy ending’
Naim Elghandour, Anna Stamou, Muslim Association of Greece
Athens is the only European capital that does not have a mosque — although it does have a Muslim population of around 700,000. Elghandour, a naturalized Egyptian Greek, and his wife, Anna Stamou, say that like other Muslims in Athens, they pray in garages, shops and homes, but they are hoping that within a couple of years, they will be able to pray in a real mosque.
“[Prime Minister Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan’s visit coincided with Friday [the day of Muslim congregational prayer], but there’s no place to worship here,” Elghandour said, noting that the Greek administration’s announcement that a mosque would be constructed came shortly before Erdoğan’s visit, but that soon after this announcement, debates began over whether or not it would have a minaret.
“To those who propose a minaret-less mosque, we ask whether it would do to have a church without a steeple. But I’m sure that we’ll also overcome this problem,” he said. Elghandour said that the mosque to be built will be constructed in a style that is in harmony with Athenian architecture. “We’ll explain that the mosque will not affect the city’s overall silhouette, and we’ll convince the public. The Athenian public is slowly getting used to Islam, and they’ll also get used to the idea of a mosque.”
The fact that Athens has a Muslim minority but no mosque has to do both with Greece’s slow-moving bureaucracy and the memory of the Ottoman years. More urgently than a mosque, the Muslims of this city need a cemetery; there had once been a plan to create one on land allocated to the Muslim community by a church, but as the spot was on a cliff it wasn’t suitable for usage as a cemetery. Now, however, a new location is being prepared to be a cemetery, Elghandour said.
“The church allocated some land in the town of Shisto. We’ll convert it to a cemetery. Until now, our Muslim dead were sent to their home countries or to cemeteries in Thrace.”
According to Elghandour, the turning point in the story of Athens’ mosque-to-be was 2006, when a law went into effect mandating the construction of a mosque using public funds.
“The issue of the construction of a mosque in Athens first came to the agenda in the late 1930s, but was forgotten when World War II emerged. Then in the 1980s, the ambassadors of Arab nations in Athens began pressuring for a mosque to be built. In 2000, a law was passed for the construction of a mosque and an Islamic cultural center. But that never happened, either. As it is, we’d prefer a mosque built with Greek public funds, because that is more appropriate — and a mosque built with our money will also affect our mentality. Back then, the space allocated for this was near the airport. But the Muslims in Athens have slowly but surely made themselves accepted in this society, and outside of a few fanatics — and there are fanatics everywhere — there’s nobody left who opposes the idea of a mosque,” Elghandour relates.
Elghandour first came to Athens 40 years ago and recalls that everyone thought it was strange when he performed the Muslim prayers. “But now, I can take out my prayer rug anywhere and perform my prayers and nobody thinks it odd. The Athenian public has started reading up on Islam,” he says.
His wife, Stamou, says that it is no longer strange to be a Muslim woman in Athens, and while people used to stare at women wearing the Islamic headscarf, it’s no longer so unusual a sight. “They used to look so queerly! In fact they still wonder why I wear the headscarf and they ask questions about it, but they no longer think it strange. This doesn’t mean that we don’t encounter discrimination though — for example when on the job search, we’re not chosen sometimes because of our clothing,” she said.
The Elghandour couple are parents to two small children, Ismail and Iman. They’re not concerned about the future of their children as Muslims in Greece, however, and they don’t expect them to encounter the same difficulties their elders did. The Muslims of Athens hope to be worshipping in a new mosque within the next two years. Despite the economic crisis in Greece, they think that public funds will still be used to build a mosque, emphasizing that the necessary money for this project has already been earmarked. In order to get Athenians themselves used to the idea, they prayed the last holiday prayers at the site where the mosque is to be built.
The 17-decare plot of land set aside for the mosque is in the Votanikos district. On a section of that land, there is still an auto repair garage belonging to the Greek naval forces. The planned mosque is to be 840 square meters and big enough to hold 500 worshippers. When asked whether a mosque with a 500-person capacity isn’t just a bit small for 700,000 people, Elghandour laughs and winks in reply, “Let’s get the first one built, get the Athenian public used to a mosque — the second and third ones will be built soon after, I’m sure.”
By AYŞE KARABAT
Construction of mosque in Botanical – green light after three decades
May 4, 2010
Source: Kathimerini
© Translation: Muslim Association of Greece
In the near future the tens of thousands of Muslims living in Attica (and the visitors as well) will be able to pray at the first official place of worship that will be constructed in the capital after about two centuries. The government announced their decision settling, in fact, a pending case of three decades.
Discussions, laws, plans on paper, bureaucratic obstacles, reactions of citizens and ecclesiastic leaders, in combination with the “political cost” intercepted every attempt dealing with a social matter that was putting the respect of human rights and religious freedom to trial.
“We are very satisfied that an official place will exist. It will be a significant step for the unobstructed practice of our religious duties,” states to “K” Mr. Naim Elghandour, president of the Muslim Association of Greece.
Already, in the last months, the issue was frequented in meetings with the participation of the related factors meaning the ministries of Education, Internal Affairs, Foreign Affairs, City of Athens, Navy General Headquarters, and the Organisation for Regulating Planning of Athens.
As was decided in a meeting, the mosque will be constructed in an area of 17.000m² at the Votanikos area, where today the Maintenance Centre of Navy Vehicles exists. According to the plan, from the moment that all legal procedures will finish in order to bestow the usage of the area to the ministry of Education, it will take 6 -12 months to relocate this Navy department.
The mosque will be constructed by the expenses of the Hellenic state by the Program of Public Expenditure Fund. According to the relative law that was forwarded from 2006 by the former Minister of Education Marietta Giannakou, the building of the mosque must agree with the terms and limitations of building of this area. According to these terms, the building area should cover 839m², its entrance being from Iera Odos Avenue through to Asyrmatou Street and will be close to the church of Saint Christopher.
History
The matter of constructing a mosque in Athens was on the table for the first time since the late 30s. The discussion was forgotten after World War II began. After the change-over and particularly in the 80s, the issue was brought again by ambassadors from Muslim countries. In mid 90s the issue concerned the government again.
The negotiations between those who were concerned led to voting for law 2833 in 2000 that described the construction of a mosque and an Islamic cultural centre funded by Saudi Arabia. For this reason, the state bestowed an area at Peania, but was confronted by the citizens of the area and the deceased Archbishop Christodoulos, who did not agree that the first view of visitors landing to Greece from the new airport to be an Islamic minaret.
As the solving of the matter was not proceeding, the proposal of the former mayor (and right after Foreign Minister) Mrs. Bakoyiannis, to operate the Monastiraki mosque again that today is known as a popular art museum. Finally, after ‘fermentations’ in the internal affairs of New Democracy government the Votanicos solution was forwarded.
Associates of the former foreign minister expressed their satisfaction for the decision to proceed with the construction of the mosque. Mrs. Bakoyiannis was always in favor of the construction of a mosque. She played a significant role in choosing the place and to the disengagement of the issue from the ‘protection’ of foreign interests,” they state at “K” associates of the former minister. In 2006, the minister of Education Mrs. Giannakou presented the existing law that describes the construction of a mosque with funds from the Hellenic state.
By Nikos Papachristou
Translated by Anna Stamou
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
Green light for mosque in Athens
May 1, 2010
Source: Ethnos
© Translation: Muslim Association of Greece
Fifteen days before the arrival of the Turkish Prime Minister T. Erdogan in Athens, the Greek parliament hasted yesterday to announce the “direct building of the Mosque in Athens” officially, an issue that Mr. Erdogan has, repeatedly and systematically, raised in the past years, claiming the role of “protector” of all Muslims who reside and work in Greece.
This hasty announcement of the parliament raises many questions, since, though correct at its base, creates negative impressions regarding the time chosen for the announcement of the building of the mosque, since it will be regarded as pleasing the firm demand of Mr. Erdogan which he raised systematically without any legalization.
The Islamic temple will be built in Votanikos, though, as it seems, without the traditional tall minaret.
The Minister of Education, Anna Diamandopoulou, made the relative announcement yesterday, during the Cabinet. While in an announcement by the government spokesman Giorgos Petalotis, it is noted that the building will be immediate, the mosque will have a capacity of approximately 500 individuals, it will be built on part of the land where the Navy Fort is, in a way that it will be organically integrated into a wider green environment.
Also, a seven-member board is being appointed, of whom, two are proposed by recognized, reputable Muslim societies, while five are Greek civil servants.
Asked by “Ethnos” about the developments and mainly the fact that the mosque would not have a minaret, the president of the Muslim Association of Greece, Mr. Naim Elghandour, said, “We said from the beginning that we do not want to get in dissociation with the Church and we told them that the mosque will not be alienated from the local architecture. Actually, in our discussions with the relevant bodies, we showed them pictures from the Mosque in Granada which resembles the architecture of Christian churches.”
Paraskevi Vonatsou
Translated by Amir Arvanitis
Alert: Construction work starts immediately – mosque in the old navy base in Votanicos
April 29, 2010
Source: Ta Nea
© Translation: Muslim Association of Greece
The construction of the [official] mosque, in Votanicos, was decided yesterday by the government, announcing immediate start of construction work. The mosque will be built on land granted by the Ministry of Defence in the region of the old Navy base in Votanicos.
As announced by a government spokesman, Giorgos Petalotis, the mosques will have a capacity of about 500 people and will “organically be integrated into a larger open green space.”
“The mosque that was finally announced by the government does not respond in any way to the real needs of the Muslims living in Athens. We are 750 000 Muslims and the mosque will not fit even 1% of those who pray daily,” says the the president of the Muslim Association of Greece, Mr. Naim Elghadour, in “Ta Nea” who characterizes the decision as “a palliative which will cause only reactions of the Muslims.”
State funds
The construction of the mosque will be financed with Greek government funds through the Public Investment Program. Bids from foreign entities, governmental or otherwise, will not be accepted as announced by the government, seeking thereby to avoid possible involvement of fundamentalist organizations. Question however remains whether there are still 15 million Euros which had been approved since 2006 for its construction.
Its administrative structure, with a decision of the Minister of Education will appoint a seven member board, two members are proposed by recognized, reputable Muslim associations and five government officers. Furthermore, by the order of George Papandreou, there will be a committee to oversee the project, headed by the Deputy Prime Minister Theodoros Pangalos and the participation of Ministers of Education, Interior, Foreign Affairs, Defence, Civil Protection and KED.
ΡΕΠΟΡΤΑΖ: Στέλιος Βραδέλης svradelis@dolnet.gr
Translated by Elena Nikolova-Pouliasi
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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
Greek Defence Minister Venizelos to the Muslim community: behold the mosque and cemetery
March 8, 2010
Source: inews.gr
© Translation Muslim Association of Greece
The way has opened for the construction of the mosque in Votanikos and the creation of a Muslim cemetery in Shisto, after a meeting held between the Mayor of Athens Nikitas Kaklamanis and the Minister of National Defense Evangelos Venizelos. The problem is that the “path” will pass – if it does – through the middle of the Naval Base, cutting it essentially in two and having already caused “frustration” in the Navy, as beyond the procedural issues, the cost is also high. The Navy, of course, cannot do anything enough though they are annoyed, as it has already been agreed by Mr. Venizelos and Mr. Kaklamanis.
The two sides have also come to an agreement regarding the creation of a green park, area of 500acres, in Goudi. The Minister of National Defence has given instructions for the actions needed, as we mentioned above, the land for the construction of the mosque belongs to the Navy and the launch of solutions for both issues. If this happens then a major problem concerning the Muslim community in Athens will be solved.
We remind that discussions had taken place in 2006 as well as a year ago. Then the matter of direct implementation of governmental commitments to build mosque in Athens and a Muslim cemetery in Shisto was brought back by the Muslim Association of Greece.
The President of the Association, Naim Elghandour, had sent letters to the relevant Ministers of Interior and Education Prokopis Pavlopoulos and Aris Spiliotopoulos, requesting the immediate breakout of procedures required.
According to the information then, the president of the Association had stated that due to the obstruction of the Greek state, Muslims find the opportunity to create informal places of worship “with the difference that they do not have as central reference the harmonious coexistence of people and the good of Greece, but promote their own aspirations for their own benefit.”
For the records Mr. Naim Elghandour, the man who played a major role in the Quran story is Egyptian in origin. He lives in Greece for the past 35 years and is naturalized as Greek citizen. As he stated in an interview, “The Muslim Association of Greece is the largest Muslim union in Greece. Our members are Greek nationals, immigrants and refugees coming mainly from Arab countries. We also represent the majority of informal places of worship in Athens. In Athens today live hundreds of thousands of Muslims, from various professions and social statuses, while thousands of children study in Greek schools and universities.”
The Muslim Association states that today in Greece live roughly 1.000.000 Muslims – that is to say, 10% of the Greek population. It is therefore understandable how important it is to resolve these issues. Particularly, regarding the creation of the first Muslim cemetery, according to information available, that particular land belongs to the Navy but is used by the Army. The municipality requested, the land to be transferred so that the first Muslim cemetery can be created as well as the installations for the combustion of dead; however they examine as an alternative the third cemetery.
Regarding the botanical area, today there operates the Central Marine Car Station, a 20 year old building. If, therefore, the area was freed, the Navy and the Ministry of National Defence have requested the payment of the relocation costs, which makes it almost unaffordable. Regarding Goudi Park, the municipality has asked the Ministry to grant them 500 acres – from the 4500 total in this particular area – so, in cooperation with the Municipality of Zografou, the creation of a single green space. According to the municipality of Athens, that will create a green belt with bicycle paths, and the execution place of Nikos Belogiannis will be designated.
Translated by: Elena Nikolova-Pouliasi
