The debate over the mosque, Ahmeti: Building Understanding on This Issue

Pristina's Municipal Assembly advisers have voiced construction of the Great Mosque, but have expressed dilemmas for the selected project. BIK representatives before them have presented the mosque project, which is expected to be built nearby PTK in Pristina.

Pristina Mayor Shpend Ahmeti said that building the largest mosque in the Republic of Kosovo is beyond his mandate as chairman and that it is not a single party issue.

He said nobody is discussing the location, whether the mosque should be built or not, he said this debate is complete and that the mosque will be built.

The reason for this debate is to build consensus, so that it's not used to say tomorrow that for those reasons, or for those reasons, it's done either way or so. This mosque will be financed and built by the Turkish Islamic Community, the same financing is being made for the central mosque in Tirana, its cost estimated to be 35m to 40m euros”, he said.

And BIK Secretary General Resul Rexhepi said the issue of the debate on the central mosque has started here 17 years ago, almost since the liberation. While it highlighted the fact that only Pristina has no central mosque. Rexhepi said the capital's central mosque has nothing to do with any political party, and the mosque, according to him, is for believers.

The capital's central Namia “has nothing to do with any political party, it is out of party claims. The mosque is of the believers, the mosque is of those who have decided to bow to God, so the time today that we have chosen has imposed on us because despite our initiative towards possible improvements in the project, however, the work has pushed us to this day”, he said.

BIK Secretary General Resul Rexhepi told the Pristina municipality's assisters who need their support, where he said that if they have their support they will have the biggest mosque in the Balkans.

In front of Pristina Municipal Assembly advisers, BIK architect Esat Ramadani presented the central mosque project, where after this presentation the advisers have been expressed regarding the construction of the central mosque.

The municipal adviser from the Vetevendosje Movement ranks, Ylli Hoxha, said he supports the construction of the mosque, but from what he saw during the presentation, Hoxha said some questions have to be addressed.

From what I'm seeing, it's the first time I've seen the mosque project, there are some questions that I think we should have dealt with. The first thing I think is that the orientation of the object I think doesn't match the location, that is, the location is then accidentally divided in 2012, because the orientation slightly distorts the architectural part, I don't know if there was any other solution, could it be given somewhere, that the return from the Kibla corresponds to the square or the way it comes out. Second, also the parcel size does not correspond to the size of the object. I consider that for this type of object, it had to be a much larger parcel”, he said.

And, PDK municipal adviser Muhamet Selmani said he stands behind his party's stance on building this mosque, but that he said the central mosque object would be the most beautiful object in Kosovo.

I would first like the Central Mosque of the Islamic Community to be the most beautiful object in Kosovo, which would be the first mirror anyone would see. Second, his functionality would also like to be in the best service and the best purpose with which to be built. I don't want to introduce myself as to whether I like this proposal or not, since most people have chosen it. The first thing I want to ask, I'd like to know how it came to this proposal and what were the criteria for selecting the project or mosque architecture. Second, I would like to have information on where the sources of funding of this mosque are and where all these financing will come from, he said.

He said that the parcel divided for this mosque is seen as very small. He also asked why the mosque has been decided to have osman neoclassic style.

While Adviser from the AKR ranks, Mirlinda Sopa said that this debate today has had to take place in 2012. She also argued that the AKR supports the construction of this mosque.

This debate today is taking place in Pristina's Municipal Assembly, I believe it would take place in 2012. Today that we are speaking honestly all the time I'm hearing more attention and I can't find the reason we're making a debate after a decision made in 2012”, he said.

Visar Arifi, from the Hard Chiefs, said this debate has had to take place much time and has had to be done over and over again. He said that it should not be overlooked the way the selection of this object was made, as according to him is not just for today's needs.

The “is not fair that it only bypasss the way this object has been selected, of this project even when it is done. This object is not just about the needs of beholding, is the need for generations to come, has to survive decades, has survived centuries. Let's not leave some technical procedures now with a fatal mistake we can't ever improve. We have the best example of the cathedral, because the cathedral has not had public discussion, has ended up as an ugliness I can say”, he said.

Pristina's Municipal Assembly during this meeting has postponed another day the proposal for granting municipal real estate to long-term use of Albania's Embassy.

While it has adopted several other points, such as adopting the proposal for granting municipal real estate to long-term exploitation Foundation “vier Pfoter”, the proposal for granting municipal real estate to the use of the Kosovar Enterprise and Electricity Supply Company, and several other provisions, says Kosova Prees.