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First âProperâ Mosque To Be Built In Athens In 200 Years
EFLAshamed of being the only European capital with no mosque for Muslim citizens and immigrants, the Greek foreign ministry is pushing hard for the construction of the first proper mosque and an Islamic cultural center in Athens vicinity in almost 200 years. "Not a single mosque has operated officially in the capital or its immediate surroundings since Greece gained its independence from the Ottoman Empire in the early 19th Century," the BBC News Online said Tuesday, July 29.
The small Greek town Peania, north of the capital, will become the focus for tens of thousands of Muslims living in the capital with the construction of the first proper mosque, reported the broadcast. Drew the short straw, did you? More than 30,000 square meters of land have been set aside for the large mosque compound which will be paid for by Saudi Arabia at an estimated cost of millions of dollars. Who else? The grand mosque is expected to be built before the Olympics get under way in just over a yearâs time, putting the country under international spotlight. Of course, they need a base of operations for the "tourists" coming to the games. Ambassadors representing Arab countries have been trying to coax the Greek Government into building a proper mosque for almost 30 years. They are now certain they have succeeded. "All the preparations are complete," says Abdullah Abdullah, the Palestinian representative in Athens. Iâll just bet they are. Posted by: Steve 2003-07-29 |
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