Athens needs many mosques: Turkish-Greek mufti

ANKARA

Many mosques are needed in Athens, the only European capital lacking one, said a Greek Muslim leader on Friday.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said Wednesday that a mosque and a Muslim cemetery will be built in Athens, but local Muslim leaders remain doubtful.

Ibrahim Serif, the mufti of Komotini, a city in northeastern Greece with a large Muslim population, told Anadolu Agency on Friday that the mosque issue was also discussed last year but that no construction company was hired.

Greece used to have numerous Ottoman mosques in all its cities but over time they fell into ruin, he added.

Serif stressed that Western Thrace, where Komotini is located, has almost 320 working mosques but there are none in Athens.

"Not just one, but many mosques are needed in Athens, just like in other European countries," he said.

Ahmet Mete, the mufti of Xanthi, also in northeastern Greece, also said that there are two Ottoman mosques in Athens but one is a museum and the other is being demolished.

"Greece is an Orthodox Christian country, far from Islam, and unfriendly towards Ottoman remains. It does not want a functioning mosque in the center of Athens, where strict Orthodox Christians live," said Mete.

The Greek Parliament approved a plan in 2011 to build a mosque in Athens, after demands from thousands of Muslim residents.

Athens has been criticized by human rights groups such as Amnesty International for being the only European Union capital without a functioning mosque.