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| Europe |
| After seeing Muslims celebrate 9/11, citizens protest Mosque plan |
| 2004-06-24 |
| Milos Kejzlar angrily recalls the reaction of visiting Arabs in Teplice following the events of 9/11. "The people of the town were very surprised to see a great number of Arabs here celebrating in the parks and the restaurants after they learned what happened in the U.S.," he said, downing shots of slivovice at his well-kept house in a leafy suburb. Shocked by some Arabs’ response to the destruction of the World Trade Center and flooded by constant media coverage of terrorist plots, Kejzlar concluded that a mosque a few blocks from his home was a bad idea. "It seems that terrorism often springs from those who gather at the mosques and from those who preach from them," said the 41-year-old high school math teacher. Last spring, after learning of a private company’s plans to erect a temple to cater to the thousands of Arabs, mostly Saudis, who seek extended medical treatments in this historic spa town, Kejzlar launched a petition against the mosque, which would be the country’s second. An informal prayer house already exists on the proposed site of the 132-square-meter (1,467-square-foot) mosque. "Islam is a strongly orthodox religion that is based on principles that are contrary to our cultural environment as well as the development of our society," the petition reads. "At the time when Arab terrorism is growing all around the world, it would be very dangerous even to consider granting a permit for such a building. ... Recently there have been many cases of mosques becoming centers of radical Muslims who preach about the necessity to physically liquidate people of different faiths." In this north Bohemian city of 53,000, the petition received 4,500 signatures. The petition -- and its timing (it was presented to City Hall April 12, one day after two Czech TV reporters were kidnapped in Iraq) have led to charges of xenophobia and even greed against the mosque’s detractors. Sleiman Kantar of Kantar Trade, which represents the Dubai investor who donated the funding for the mosque, said he has met with Catholic, Evangelical and Hussite leaders who all support the project. Teplice’s construction-permit office must reply to Kantar’s application by the end of July. Town officials insist the proposal will be evaluated impartially. However, protest groups have in the past successfully held up construction projects in the Czech Republic, particularly for major roads. Kantar, a native of Syria who has lived in Teplice for more than two decades, said he suspects the petition is really aimed at stopping the construction of a 68-suite luxury hotel that his client, Naijiba Abdulsamad Al-Kaitoob, wants to build next to the mosque, along with a business center and three restaurants. The Oriental Center, as Kantar has dubbed the project, would involve the reconstruction of an empty farmhouse on the grounds of an impressive Baroque chCteau. "The people who signed the petition are afraid of competition. These are people who rent their homes to Arabs in the summer and they are afraid the hotel will cost them business," he said. Kantar said Al-Kaitoob is very disappointed that the proposed mosque has attracted controversy. "We all thought it would be a way to show Islam in a positive light," he said, speculating that the mosque’s design -- it will feature the only minaret in the country -- would attract tourists as well as worshippers. The country’s only other mosque, in Brno, is architecturally indistinguishable from the surrounding buildings. A few minutes’ walk from the planned site of the mosque -- where a park, a Lebanese restaurant and a monkey house draw visitors -- there are the five 18th-century spa buildings that evoke Teplice’s former grandeur. Beethoven, Mozart and Wagner were among the town’s many celebrity guests. Once a rival to popular spa towns such as Karlovy Vary, Teplice suffered from communist-era rebuilding schemes but the spa buildings, all run by the Spa Teplice company, are well preserved. "Their newly painted facades are a direct result of Arab money," said Spa Teplice Chairman Karel Wiegl. Arabs started frequenting the town about 15 years ago, and they are now coming in ever-greater numbers. Last year about 2,850 Arabs sought treatments in Teplice, often accompanied by large families and spending 5 million Kc ($192,307) at the spa facilities, according to Spa Teplice. "Many of our Arab clients stay in private homes, and there was no more room for them in the spa prayer halls," said Wiegl, whose firm supports the mosque plan. "There are people in Teplice who think the mosque will attract terrorists. We think this is very funny because if terrorists wanted to gather here, they wouldn’t need a mosque," Wiegl said. Wiegl blamed the anti-mosque sentiment on old-fashioned xenophobia. "Under the totalitarian regime our country was closed to foreigners. So without thinking people sign a petition keeping out the foreign element," he said. Teplice Mayor Jaroslav Kubera also attributed the petition to a fear of outsiders, but he said the fear was grounded in reality. "In the times [in which] we are living, people see something about terrorist attacks every night. People in Saudi Arabia are killing each other and in Iraq. Many people think of Islam as a radical religion that causes the violence," he said. The mayor, chain-smoking in front of a "smoking allowed" sign in his office, said he wants Teplice to be known for its atmosphere of tolerance. "I have no problems with a mosque. I think it would be great if we could build a synagogue too, and how about a church?" he said, noting that before World War II Teplice was home to one of the largest Jewish temples in Central Europe. Kubera acknowledges that the behavior of Arab visitors doesn’t always endear them to the locals. "They like to stay up late and make more noise than Czechs are used to," he said. "Also, they often leave their trash in the park." Zdenek Briza, a 56-year-old technician who signed the petition, said he knows that not all Arabs are terrorists, "but you never know. There are 100 to 200 mosques under state surveillance in Germany because of suspected terrorist ties. We don’t want that here. Look what happened in Madrid." Kantar said the Islamic preaching done in Teplice so far has been anything but inflammatory. "Last year the man who led services gave a sermon about how to behave in Teplice, telling guests to pick up their trash and maintain quiet in the evenings." Ramiz Ahmadie, a Beirut native and owner of the Lebanese restaurant that would abut the controversial house of worship, said he doesn’t care if the mosque is built because he is a Druid, not a Muslim. However, he scoffed at the notion that the mosque would attract terrorists. He said most of the spa-going visitors are over 60 years old. "I thought there was supposed to be freedom here. If I want to go to the disco, I can go to the disco," Ahmadie said. "So what’s the big deal if someone wants to go pray in a mosque?" |
| Posted by:TS(vice girl) |
| #7 Finally someone has the guts to say it like it is. Muslims dancing in the streets celebrating 9/11...yea, we know, they did it here too. The problem is that after people saw it with their own eyes, they still are so stupid. The muslims had barely caught their breath from their dance of death when they began the taqiyya (lie) of the worldwide islamic party movement,"we are a religion of peace, we condemn this terrorism". islam is the problem. Why won't people believe that they say what they mean when from their own mouths they state their desire to take over the world? Every conflict across the entire world taking place right now involve muslims...ALL of the conflicts. The sermons coming from these so-called peaceful muslim imams rival any given by Hitler or popular KKK spokesman. Islam is hate and intolerance. |
| Posted by: jawa 2004-06-24 11:37:01 PM |
| #6 A Druid from Beirut? He would be a Druze. |
| Posted by: Grunter 2004-06-24 11:34:56 PM |
| #5 However, he scoffed at the notion that the mosque would attract terrorists. Nah. That'd never happen. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2004-06-24 8:05:41 PM |
| #4 maybe they just don't wanna hear the caterwauling five times a day from the minaret? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-06-24 3:58:51 PM |
| #3 Math teacher or whatever, U.S. citizen or not, I don't care: I'm writing in Milos Kejzlar for President this November! |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2004-06-24 3:43:17 PM |
| #2 So, I guess it was the over-sixty crowd that was having a big party after 9/11? Okay. Such a peace loving, prayerful bunch of senior citizens. And I'm sure they do leave trash everywhere. Arabs are dirty people. BTW: the Arabs like to bitch about how "intolerant" we are, because, as societies with roots in Christianity, tolerance and love is encouraged. So bitch they do. BUT, how many Moslem countries will allow large, well-funded churches and synagogues to be built in prominent areas in their cities, along with hotels and eateries? The answer is that they won't allow them to be built at all. As for Ahamadie: he's just happy to get more business if more tourists come there. His "it's okay, everyone is just overeacting" speech is fake. |
| Posted by: ex-lib 2004-06-24 3:37:30 PM |
| #1 "It seems that terrorism often springs from those who gather at the mosques and from those who preach from them," If only our media and the LLL could add two and two and come up with four. "So what’s the big deal if someone wants to go pray in a mosque?" Because you're likely to come out of the mosque with a bandolier and a gun that goes with it? Good for these guys. Fight The Power. |
| Posted by: Raj 2004-06-24 3:06:55 PM |