Denmark's estimated 100,000 Muslims have had to do with makeshift places of worship such as backyards and basement halls for their religious activities, but that is now set to change after city authorities in Copenhagen recently gave the go-ahead for the construction of a grand mosque in the Danish capital. The project remained on ice for years due in part to the failure of the town hall to give its clearance, but also because of divisions within the Muslim community.
Then in the wake of the international furore that followed the publication by a Danish newspaper last September of satirical cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, the spotlight was cast on the perceived lack of respect for Islam in Denmark. The government has since moved to make amends, including authorisation for the mosque's construction.
Still, it will be up to the Muslim community to find the estimated 50 million Danish krone (8.5 million US dollars money) needed to build the mosque.
The Danish Alliance of Islamic Associations has recently launched a fund raising campaign aimed in particular at private donors.
Source: Aki (English)
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