Plans for Mosque Constructions Meet Resistance

March 11, 2004

Source: Radio Free Europe

http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2004/03/0c9d3257-6681-4cb0-88f0-bd1a98e13b63.html

On March 11, 2004 Radio Free Europe reported, "In Greece, plans to build the first mosque in the Athens area in nearly 200 years have sparked a row. In Slovenia, thousands signed a petition calling for a referendum on whether to build the country's first mosque. And residents in the Dutch city of Rotterdam have protested the construction of a large mosque there. Across Europe, the building of new mosques often comes under fierce criticism. Opponents say they worry about the erosion of their countries' native cultures and fear the mosques may attract extremists. But for Europe's growing Muslim population, rows like these are yet another front in their battle for acceptance."