23-0-16 Filis assures Muslim communities that permits will be issued to allow small Mosques to operate in private venues

A delegation of representatives of various Muslim communities in Greece received assurances today from Education, Research and Religious Affairs Minister Nikos Filis that the ministry will grant permits for the operation of small, private mosques around the country.

“The Muslims from many countries who live with their families in our country and contribute to the Greek economy have both rights and duties, as provided under the laws, the constitution, and international agreements. Greece is a democratic country and recognizes for all who live in its territory the right to believe in whichever religion they wish and to peacefully carry out their religious duties,” Filis said.

The minister also noted the recent pledge of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras before the Council of Europe that his government will facilitate in the near future the creation of a larger Athens Mosque, a longstanding demand of Greece’s Muslim communities.

The delegation consisted of representatives of Greece’s Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Iraqi Kurdish and Afghani Muslim communities. The encounter was arranged at the request, in a June 6, 2016 letter, of the Pakistani-Hellenic Cultural and Welfare Society, in which the association thanked Filis for arrangements made to facilitate the celebration of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The ministry arranged to provide larger public spaces for the Ramadan worship celebrations.

Ministry General Secretary for Religious Affairs Yorgos Kalatzis attended the meeting, and the discussion included more general religious and social issues as well.

In a spirit of cooperation and mutual respect, Nikos Filis heard the positions and proposals of the representatives of the said Muslim communities.

Filis underlined that the ministry leadership will seriously take into account all requests that fall under the purview of their portfolio.