Following a controversial Swiss referendum to ban mosques with minarets, Christian Democratic state interior ministers in Germany on Thursday recommended Muslims show restraint when building houses of worship. “Naturally the Muslims in Germany have a right to build mosques. But they should make sure not to overwhelm the German population with them,” Hessian Interior Minister…
A BVA poll for Canal + suggests that had a similar referendum taken place in France, 54 percent of the people in France would vote against it. Those who were for a referendum would have voted against minarets. A poll by Ifop for Le Figaro suggests that 46 percent of the French are hostile to…
So far there is only the one purpose-built mosque in Finland, the Järvenpää Mosque, which was erected in the 1940s. The timber-framed building also includes a small minaret, but as in most non-Muslim countries, the call for prayer from the minaret is not permitted. The Järvenpää Mosque belongs to the Islamic congregation of Finland’s Tatars,…
This article in Le Monde suggests that mosque construction – that of minarets in particular – is largely impaired in France because of financial constraints, and less to public opinion. Of the country’s 2000 mosques, only a minority have minarets. The Grand Mosque of Marseille, currently under construction, includes plans for a 25 meter-high minaret….
Construction of the largest mosque in France is set to begin in Marseille. UMP mayor Jean-Claude Gaudin delivered the building permit; Marseille has approximately 200,000 Muslims, approximately one quarter of the population. The 8600 m2 lot was formerly an abattoir and will house the prayer hall, theological school, library, restaurant, bookstore and amphitheatre. The prayer…
