The Muslim community in Athens has opened its first official prayer center there and they have plans to open a mosque in the near future. I had to balk at the idea of a government setting aside money (in this case, a cool $20 million) to build a religious house, not to mention the hutzpah of the international human rights reports cited which slammed Greece for its failure to provide a house of prayer for Muslims.
The word of the day is RECIPROCITY. When are these international groups (not to mention the US) going to start demanding religious freedom in Muslim countries for Christians?
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Here's an excerpt from the AP story:
But last year, the government promised to spend $20 million for an Athens mosque by 2009. The Education and Religious Affairs Ministry will name a committee to choose the head imam, but says individual communities will be allowed to bring their own imams to the mosque.
International human rights reports, including a 2005 report on religious freedom issued by the U.S. State Department, had criticized Greece for failing to provide an official prayer site for Muslims in Athens.
I never even imagined such a strange and frightening scenario. It is too bad Greece gave in since the Dept. of State's reports have no real authority. I wonder whether there was some tangible diplomatic pressure in the mix, as 20 million is a hefty sum.
ReplyDeleteIn any case, your point is a good one: The idea of religious tolerance is going to sink the Christian west if a lot of people don't wise up. I also recently read that Muhammed is soon to be the #1 name in England. This is unsettling and sad.