DDHK.ORG - All this time Athena being the only capital city in the European Union without a mosque. But now this status is no longer held by the Greek capital. Because, on Monday, November 2, 2020, the city's first mosque was inaugurated since the 19th century.
The imam of the mosque with a capacity of 350 worshipers is Zaki Mohammed (49), a Greek national of Moroccan origin. Prayer for the inauguration of the mosque was held by applying the Covid-19 health protocol, such as maintaining distance. This is because the Covid-19 cases in Greece are on the rise as is the case in most parts of Europe.
This mosque has no minarets and domes. The mosque was built in the Eleonas industrial area, near the refugee camp.
The decision to build a mosque in Athens was first made in 2006 with a budget of US $ 1,04 million or around Rp.14,8 billion. But these efforts were stalled due to bureaucratic obstacles, protests from right-wing groups and lawsuits.
In 2017, the elected mufti from the town of Komotini in Western Thrace said that half a million devotees Muslim in Athens you have to go to a dirty and unsanitary cellar just to pray. [Source: CNN Indonesia / Anadolu Agency / Ekathimerini / Daily Sabah]
