The Message: July Issue
Greek Minister of Culture, Theodoros Pangalos slammed the deputies within the ruling Pasok Party who are opposed to the building of a Mosque in Athens. In denouncing the Members of Parliament who are opposed to the construction of a Mosque, the minister told the Greek daily "Apogevmatini": "They are far-rightists and racists who do not belong to the party, who pose a threat...when this kind of snake appears it must be trampled."
Minister Pangalos tabled a bill in Parliament to creat an Islamic ccenter and a Mosque in the Western Athenian suburb of Peania. He stressed the importance of the Islamic center, saying, "There are tens of Orthodox churches in Egypt and there is even a Greek church in Iran, and we have no right to deny Athen's Muslim inhabitants the right to practice their religion."
Even the Archbishop of Greece had said that the Greek Orthodox Church is not opposed to the establishment of a Mosque in the Greek capital.
Meanwhile, the Greek government spokesman, Dimitris Reppas, has reiterated the government's intention to go ahead with the construction of the Mosque, so that local Muslims could perform their religious obligations.
Even the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) has said in a press statement that there must be a sufficient number of Mosques in Athens for the Muslims who live here or those who visit the Greek capital. Incidentallly, Athens is the only European Union capital which has no official Mosque till now.
Athens, July 20 - The Greek Parliament on Tuesday approved the building of the first mosque in Athens since the early 19th century when Greece was ruled by the Ottoman Turks.
Fifty-five socialist deputies backed the decision to build a mosque, which is intended to serve the worship needs of Muslims living in the capital and Muslim athletes competing at the 2004 Olympic Games here. Forty conservative opposition deputies voted against the decision.
A number of mosques, which were built by the Ottomans in the Greek capital have been turned into museums.
The Greek population is 97 percent Christian Orthodox, with the remainder small Muslim, Jewish, and non-Orthodox Christian minorities.