News comes to us via the Russia Today website of a large protest against a planned mosque and Islamic cultural centre in the capital city of the Russian Federation, Moscow.
The RT website said:
“Up to 2,000 people rallied in a Moscow neighborhood after local authorities announced the building of a Muslim cultural center and mosque in the area. The protest ended with officials being forced to cancel the planned construction.
The impromptu demonstration on Wednesday evening was gathered through social networks. Residents of the Mitino district came to voice their fears over the plans to build a Muslim cultural center and mosque in the neighborhood, which would be able to accommodate up to 60,000 believers during a service.
The would-be Muslim prayer house is subject to much speculation, even though construction project is far from being finalized. The rumor mill describes it as “a 13-story mega mosque,” which would broadcast calls to a morning prayer all over the neighborhood.
The protesters living in the residential area were concerned that its infrastructure would not be able to deal with increased traffic after the mosque is finished. This would result in terrible traffic jams during Friday prayers and large Muslim holidays, they said.
There are also fears that the inflow of worshipers, many of whom would be guest workers from Central Asia seeking their fortune in Moscow, would drive up crime rates. Disaffection towards Muslims was evidenced in some online comments on the event.”
Despite assurances from local authorities about the Mosque plan given to try to calm down the public outcry, the demonstrators refused to budge on their views about the negative impact of the Islamic cultural centre on the Moscow suburb that would be affected by it.
Unlike in Britain where the police often attack anti Islamist and anti jihadist demonstrators the Police in Russia didn’t attack the antis and stood by and didn’t disperse the crowd ,even though the demonstration was not sanctioned by the local authority, or the police or the Russian Government.
Such was the strength of feeling against the Islamic cultural centre that the local government made a decision that the centre should not be built.
Back in 2010 similar protests stopped the building of a different mosque in another part of Moscow.
It appears that as in other parts of Europe, there have been tensions between the local Muscovites who object to Islamic activities such as blocking the streets for prayer and publicly slaughtering animals for Islamic festivities.
It seems that Islam is about as popular in Russia as it is in the UK, and Islam in the UK is about as popular as a cold vomit sandwich.
Links
Russia Today website
http://rt.com/news/moscow-mosque-project-protest-560/
UK Police attack anti Islam demonstration in Walsall.
Censcored by you just got banned by Harry’s Place
Oh that’s a shame is it a temp ban or a permaban? He is a pretty feisty but fair poster.