8 February 2011
An Albanian Muslim association has recently bought a plot of land in Hollabrunn, in the Weinviertel northeast of Vienna, raising speculation that they may build a mosque. However, according to the head of the association Zeadin Mustafi and his wife Nadire Mustafi, they not are planning a building with a dome and minarets, but rather an “intercultural meeting centre,” with space to pray, and where non-Muslims are welcome as well.
They have already spoken with the city priest, and the backgrounds of their members show their commitment to diversity: aside from Albanians, among the 70 members of the association are also Turks, Macedonians, Bosnians and Arabs. The association, which is run on the donations of its members, was formerly located in a 30m2 room. “It was much too small, and moreover cold and damp – there was mold all over the place,” said Nadire Mustafi.
