Muslim America moves away from the minaret

In post 9/11 America the construction of new mosques in the US has sometimes sparked controversy and even confrontation. Is that why some new Muslim houses of worship are being built without the most recognisable features of Islamic architecture – minarets and domes? The National Islamic Center in Washington DC is an imposing building with…

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Cologne’s New Central Mosque on the News Again

28./ 29.10.2011 The construction and architecture of the new Central Mosque in Cologne has yet again led to some controversial debate (previously reported in July 2011); yet, this time the argument is between the German Muslim organization DITIB, which is responsible for the construction of the mosque, and its architect, Paul Böhm. During a press…

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More Debate About Cologne’s New Central Mosque

27.07.2011 A few months before completion of Cologne’s new central mosque early 2012, the public debate about the building continues, now focusing more on its architecture and location rather than political or social issues. In previous years, critics of the mosque, such as the right-wing group Pro Köln (Pro Cologne), had campaigned to stop the…

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History’s Hands: Transporting visitors from Fifth Avenue to Fez

After 30 years, the Met museum has embarked on the most ambitious rethinking and rebuilding of its Islamic art galleries in its history, a $50 million endeavor. At the heart of those galleries, which will open in the fall after being closed six years, it dreamed of showcasing the defining feature of Moroccan and southern…

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“A Minaret in Every Provincial Capital”

(Immigration and Integration, Muslim Advocacy and Organizations) 22 August 2010 The outgoing president of the Islamic Religious Community in Austria (IGGiÖ), Anas Schakfeh, has stated in a recent interview with the radio program Ö1 that he hopes that every Austrian provincial capital will eventually have a mosque, with a minaret. Considering the number of Muslims…

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