[Al Arabiya Latest] Two men arrested for breaking a ban on Muslim prayers at a Spanish cathedral which was once a mosque, sparking fights with police, will be prosecuted, a report said Saturday.The Europa Press agency, quoting sources in the Andalusia High Court, said the two Austrians had been freed Friday but their passports had been confiscated.
The trouble broke out on Wednesday when six members of a group of 118 Muslim tourists who were visiting the cathedral in the southwestern city of Cordoba knelt to pray and were promptly ordered to stop by security guards. As they refused to stop praying, they were "invited to continue with their visit or leave the cathedral," the diocesan office said in a statement.
The security guards then called in police, who were attacked by the visiting Muslims, it added. Two policemen were injured and two of the tourists were detained.
Church authorities claimed the incident was premeditated, while the Austrian Muslim youth group which organized the visit said it was spontaneous.
| Split the difference: spontaneously premeditated on the bus ride over from Vienna, which is likely what happened. |
