Protocol of Bucharest mosque, signed

The protocol granting a land to build a mosque in Bucharest for the Muslim community in Romania has been signed on Tuesday. The document stipulates the Mufti of the Muslim Cult must report all activities regarding the construction on a quarterly basis. The State Secretariat for Cults will also monitor if the land use will be observed until the expiry of the protocol, as its sale for another purpose is forbidden.

The protocol has been signed by Victor Opaschi, state secretary of the State Secretariat for Cults and by Mufti Muurat Iusuf. The latter said some money would most probably come from the Turkish Government, while the other part from donations.

So, the Muslim Mufti in Romania has got an 11,296 –square meter land on 22-30 Expozitiei Boulevard in Bucharest for a period of 49 years. According to the protocol, the mosque will have the actual building of the place of worship, several extensions serving for the ceremonious body washes, a church house, a library and a social assistance center.

State secretary Victor Opaschi stated the land granted to the Muslim Mufti in Romania is a normal move. “In my opinion the debate should have gone on rational, extremely serious arguments, considering that we talk about religious freedom,” he mentioned. However he avoided retorting to former president Basescu’s criticism on the mosque, admitting he came amiss to the former president’s statements. Opaschi only said that it is in the Romanians’ interest that in the new mosque ‘a normal religious activity should occur, deprived of proselytism elements or extremist and fundamentalist ideas’.

In his turn, mufti Muurat Iusuf explained the land was a necessity for the Muslim community so that all religious activities in Bucharest should evolve in the plain sight of the entire Romanian society. “Unfortunately, a good intention of the Muslim community to help religious activities has been misinterpreted,” Muurat Iusuf said.