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| Europe | |
| Huge mosque stirs protests in Cologne | |
| 2007-06-25 | |
| The construction of one of Europe's biggest mosques near to a globally famous Christian landmark has sparked a furious row in Germany. Immigration and integration are hugely sensitive questions in Germany, which is home to a Turkish community of several million. But almost within the shadow of Cologne Cathedral, political correctness has now been replaced by bitter confrontation as the city's Muslims begin to build a 2,000-capacity mosque with twin minarets that will reach 170ft. "Muslims have been here for 40 years, yet people are praying in back rooms," said Seyda Can, an Islamic theologian at the Turkish Islamic Union in Cologne. "There are 120,000 Muslims in Cologne, that's 12 per cent of the population. We should not hide." Work will begin in the autumn on the £15 million mosque, which will include huge glass and stone cupolas and two six-storey minarets. Ms Can, who speaks fluent German, is an eloquent advocate for the mosque, arguing that when completed in 2009 it will aid the integration of a population sometimes regarded as outsiders. "With this mosque Muslims will no longer think of their old countries as their home, but of Germany," she said. "Two hundred years ago the first Protestant church was built in Cologne. It was a long process for Protestants to be accepted but today, of course, they are. Why can't we be the same?" However, others believe that the mosque in the city's Ehrenfeld district, just two miles from the Gothic spires of Cologne Cathedral, will foster, rather that heal, divisions. "It's not a popular plan," said Joerg Uckermann, the district's deputy mayor. "We don't want to build a Turkish ghetto in Ehrenfeld. I know about Londonistan and I don't want that here." Mr Uckermann is part of a curious coalition of protest that has united Jewish intellectuals and neo-Nazis. Leading the charge is Ralph Giordano, a prominent Jewish author, who wrote recently that Germany was witnessing a "clash of two completely different cultures" and questioned whether they could ever be reconciled. Stating that he had received death threats for his opinions, he added: "What kind of a state are we in that I can face a fatwa in Germany?"
For Mr Uckermann, who belongs to the Right-wing CDU party of Chancellor Angela Merkel, Mr Giordano's comments smashed a long-held taboo in Germany. "Giordano broke down the wall," he said. "Before if you criticised this monstrous mosque you were a Nazi. But we have a problem with the integration of Muslims. It's a question of language and culture." At the Islamic Union, every effort is made to address those fears. "We run German language courses," said Ikbal Kilic, a spokesman. "And the design of the mosque features a lot of glass, so people can see in. We want to be open." But within the exquisitely carved walls of Cologne Cathedral, those promises are not enough. "We live in a land of religious freedom," said Prelate Johannes Bastgen, the cathedral's dean. "I would be very glad if the same principle existed in Muslim countries." | |
| Posted by:lotp |
| #12 If religious freedom in one-sided and only in the West, Western countries end up being taken over from within via the mosques. You will be dealing with concession after concession until you are no more. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2007-06-25 14:56 |
| #11 Schnitzel and beer ... mmmmmmmmmm. "We live in a land of religious freedom," said Prelate Johannes Bastgen, the cathedral's dean. "I would be very glad if the same principle existed in Muslim countries." This is the bottom line. There should be a complete and total moratorium on the construction of any more mosques outside of Muslim majority countries until religious freedom is installed throughout the MME (Muslim Middle East). For every Church or temple damaged by Islamic terrorists or governments, a mosque in the West should be bulldozed. Until there is actual religious freedom there, immigration from MME countries should be halted and all vestiges of shari'a compliant law expunged from Western societies. Vigorous deportation of Muslim immigrants who commit even minor crimes probably wouldn't hurt either. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-06-25 12:29 |
| #10 Did you say schnitzel and beer? |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2007-06-25 11:42 |
| #9 Culture clash indeed. Cologne is also the San Francisco of Germany -- a huge annual gay pride parade, bondage gear figures prominently in store windows in the central Neumarkt, and it's home to Europe's largest brothel, Pascha, as well as the Council of *Ex*-Muslims. Oh yes, and Karnival (the slogan a few years ago -- "Wollt Ihr totalen Karnival?" was a tad controversial, heh heh.) Anyway, if 12% of the city's population consists of Muslims, the rest are homos, whores, infidels -- and of course all the revelry is fueled by schnitzel and beer. Ah well, I'm sure they'll all get along fine. |
| Posted by: exJAG 2007-06-25 10:49 |
| #8 "There are 120,000 Muslims in Cologne, that's 12 per cent of the population." Yes, and that's insane. Time to clear out the stables. |
| Posted by: Excalibur 2007-06-25 09:25 |
| #7 "There are 120,000 Muslims in Cologne, that's 12 per cent of the population. We should not hide." Oh yes you should. Anyone stupid enough to follow the teachings of a pedophile-terrorist, enough of this PC shit. Religious freedom doesn't apply to death cults of personality. |
| Posted by: Icerigger 2007-06-25 07:09 |
| #6 So... hmm... wheres the Cathedral in Medina or Mecca? Exactly, Crazy Fool. There is no tolerance of other religions within islam. Islam is a dangerous cult of death. The West has to quit being PC and recognize this threat for what it is. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2007-06-25 07:05 |
| #5 One more thing: Demography is destiny With the combination of low birth rates for native Europeans, high birth rates for Muslims and the high immigration rates from many Islamic countries into Europe, it is just a matter of time before another mosque will be built over whatever is left of the Cologne Cathedral. |
| Posted by: Glinesh Henbane7862 2007-06-25 05:23 |
| #4 'Leading the charge is Ralph Giordano, a prominent Jewish author, who wrote recently that Germany was witnessing a "clash of two completely different cultures" and questioned whether they could ever be reconciled. Stating that he had received death threats for his opinions, he added: "What kind of a state are we in that I can face a fatwa in Germany?" ' Why would Jews wish to remain in Germany? Between the possibility of resurgent neo-Nazism and imported Islamo-fascism, the two words which come to mind to sum up the situation are 'oy' and 'vey'. |
| Posted by: Glinesh Henbane7862 2007-06-25 05:15 |
| #3 Muslims enforce sharia codes of conduct around mosques and Islamic centers in the West. Scantily clad women and men with liquor are verbally abused. When they have the numbers, abuse will become physical. We are subsidizing our own demise. |
| Posted by: McZoid 2007-06-25 04:03 |
| #2 Ms Can, who speaks fluent German, is an eloquent advocate for the mosque, arguing that when completed in 2009 it will aid the integration of a population sometimes regarded as outsiders. Integration isn't what the Muslims want - its against their religion to integrate. Sharia law is what they want. "Two hundred years ago the first Protestant church was built in Cologne. It was a long process for Protestants to be accepted but today, of course, they are. Why can't we be the same?" The annoying religious duty you have to kill unbelievers who do not convert or pay the tax perhaps? Perhaps the inherit violent nature of the 'religion of Peace' (Islam who's very name means 'Submission')? "We live in a land of religious freedom," said Prelate Johannes Bastgen, the cathedral's dean. "I would be very glad if the same principle existed in Muslim countries." So... hmm... wheres the Cathedral in Medina or Mecca? |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2007-06-25 01:24 |
| #1 "Muslims have been here for 40 years, yet people are praying in back rooms" Good. Let them continue to use shithouses. Anybody got a match ? |
| Posted by: Woozle Elmeter2970 2007-06-25 01:02 |