Muslims in Slovenia Finally Have A Mosque
Ljubljan, MINA – The first mosque in Slovenia was finally opened on Monday, February 3 after going through various obstacles, ranging from funding problems to criticism of the right wing opposition.
The idea of building a mosque located in the capital city of Ljubljan has been planned since 50 years ago, thus quoted by CNNIndonesia on Tuesday, February 4.
Critics, including those who criticize the financing of mosque construction from Qatar, have repeatedly tried to stop the construction of the mosque.
Several times they sent pig heads and blood to the mosque construction area.
The head of the Islamic community in Slovenia, Mufti Nedzad Grabus said the opening of the mosque is “a turning point in our lives”.
“Slovenia is the last former Yugoslav state to get a mosque, making Ljubljana the capital of a provincial city at the end of the world,” he told a press conference.
Muslims in the country with predominantly Catholic first made a request to build a mosque in the late 1960s.
At that time Slovenia was still part of the former Yugoslav Communists.
The Islamic community in Slovenia finally received permission 15 years ago, but it was opposed by politicians and right-wing groups, as well as financial problems.
The construction, which began in 2013, cost around 34 million euros of which 28 million euros was donated by Qatar, Grabus said.
Located in the semi-industrial area of Ljubljana, the mosque, which can accommodate up to 1,400 people, is the core of six Islamic Cultural Center buildings.
The Islamic Cultural Center consists of community offices; education center, which includes a library; restaurant; basketball court; housing for Muslim scholars; and the 40 meter high tower.
All buildings are made of white concrete combined with steel, glass, and wood.
A large blue dome dominates the inside of the mosque, referring to heaven and reminiscent of famous mosques such as the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. (T/RE1)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
