Each of Athens’s seven districts will have one to two mosques.
Source: World Bulletin/News Desk
The approval to build a mosque in the Greek capital of Athens has opened the way for the legal operation of one to two mosques in each of the city’s seven districts. Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis announced at a Municipal Assembly meeting that one or, at most, 2 mosques may be permitted to operate legally.
According to a news report, Mayor Kaminis expressed his support for the decision for the construction of a mosque in Athens due to the right to belief and equal citizenship, as well as due to “the practical aspect of putting unofficial places of worship in order.”
Kaminis said: “the construction of a mosque in central Athens opens the way for the start of the legalization operation of mosques which today operate unofficially and which fulfill the necessary conditions.”
An old mosque in Athens
Bishop challenges plans for Athens mosque in court
Only a few days after the government issued a tender for the construction of a state-sponsored mosque south of central Athens, the Council of State on Friday heard an appeal against the project by Bishop Seraphim of Piraeus.
Seraphim, who has in the past raised controversy by voicing anti-Semitic remarks, claimed that the plans violate Article 13 of the Constitution, which stipulates freedom of religious conscience. He said the construction of a mosque should be preceded by an impact study on ethics and public order.