Denmark’s 1st Mosque with Minaret Opens
After years of wrangling, the Copenhagen Muslims are celebrating the opening of their 6,700 square meter complex that will house a mosque, a cultural center, a television studio and a fitness center.
Representatives from the Church of Denmark as well as from the Jewish community were invited to Thursday’s inauguration.
Some sceptical far-right parties have noted that the mosque has been financed by Qatar, and suspect that Qatar may use the mosque to spread its influence among Danish Muslims.
However, Mohamed Al Maimouni, spokesman for the Danish Islamic Council, which owns the mosque said, “We’re not involved in Qatari politics and we have nothing to do with the domestic situation there.”
“The Danish Islamic Council has full power over the rhetoric used here. And that’s why we were so happy with this donation: it’s a generous gift that comes with no demands,” he added.
Islam is Denmark’s second largest religion after the Lutheran Protestant Church, which is actively followed by four-fifths of the country’s population.
Denmark is home to a Muslim minority of 200,000, making three percent of the country's 5.4 million population.
Source: World Bulletin
