A Spanish mayor has told Muslim worshippers to “pray at home” and closed the town’s mosque because it was too popular.
Fiona Govan – 23 Jul 2010
Angel Ros, the socialist mayor of Lleida, in the northeastern region of Catalonia,complained that the mosque was too full and closed it on Wednesday until further notice.
The building, a former garage used to service trucks, was often filled with crowds exceeding a thousand people, the council said, when the authorised limit for the venue is 240.
A new mosque is under construction on the outskirts of the town but work had been stalled because of a lack of financing during the economic crisis.
“The municipality has no obligation to provide places of worship,” Mr Ros said in response to complaints from the town’s Muslim population over the closure. “Those that wish can pray at home, as I do,” he added.
The move follows a recent ban on women wearing the burka or niqab in municipal building in the Catalan town. In June Lleida was the first town council in Spain to introduce a ban, which has since been adopted by half a dozen other councils, including Barcelona, the capital of the region.
Abdelwahab Houzi, the local imam, said the mosque closure had added to the Muslim community’s sense of “persecution” by authorities.
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What they are trying to do is to prevent bush fire from burning using hands, or preventing flood water with a shovel heap.Islam will consume there ill intentions until the whole of their country is filled with masajids and not mosques(abomination name by kafir).
The problem is that people think that Islam is in a Masjid. Little do they know that Islam is in the heart; and whether they prevent Muslims from praying at a Masjid, Muslims will still be able to fulfill their salaah obligations. More dawah is really necessary at an international level!
they plan & Allah plans; & Allah is the best of planners !