Pristina mosque construction clashes continue

A few days after that statement, a civil society petition has also been launched, which opposes building the mosque with the existing project, after they claim, this project does not coincide with the urban regulation of the neighbourhood.

The petitioner, Yll Rugova, has told Periscope that this civil society group is not against building the mosque, but that it opposes the existing project.

The key problem lies in the fact that this project is not in line with the criteria of the competition itself that the Islamic Community of Kosovo has declared, and yet it does not fit into either the Dardania neighbourhood's regulatory plan and has been adopted since 2009 in that 35x1> neighbourhood, says Yll Rugova for Periscope.

Against Rugova is BIK) spokesman Ahmet Sadriou, who says the contest has been transparent and that it has supported about 14,000 citizens.

A competition that has been a transparent competition, which has been an international competition where a large number of local and foreign companies <x1) competed, Sadriu told Periscope.

Yll Rugova says the current project, which is the winner based on the criteria of the Islamic Community of Kosovo, represents a mosque that is not original but has its own copy in Turkey.

“This glass is not original, But it's a copy of another project in Turkey, which has been one of the key criteria in the competition and it's also not architectural style that matches the environment around”, Rugova told Periscope.

These statements, Ahmet Sadriu, call them Polada. He says that something traditional is constantly required in Kosovo, as well as pre-principled to build mosques, and on the other hand, he calls the statements of representatives of civil society biased.

And they're more likely to tell me, don't say Polves, or they're biased, and they have no basis because we've chosen an archiact that's present and practical in the territory of kosova and Balkan”, Sadriu said of Periscope.

For Yll Rugova, the solution to this problem would be very simple: just for everything to be carried out in line with the laws in power. On the other hand, BIX spokesman Ahmet Sadriou says he stands behind the statements of Ternava Mostft, which the mosque will be built even without permission.

Otherwise, the mufti is decried and we're going to be forced, I repeat, we will be forced against our will and our desire to start building” Sadriu said of Periscope.

Otherwise, the Pristina municipality has warned debate in the municipal assembly concerning the mosque's construction on July 21st.

The Islamic Community of Kosovo has appealed to the municipality to find a comprehensive solution to their demand, on the contrary, say they are determined to act even without obtaining permission from the municipality.

There have been numerous reactions to the case so far.

Pristina municipality Chairman Shpend Ahmeti has said the mosque will be built, but that this will become a reform of the law. There have also been reactions on the part of political parties, while the case is considered to be highly politicised, especially with the Inquisition in the debate of political parties at this current political time as it is in Kosovo.

KMDLNJ on the other hand, through a media communique, has estimated that “in Kosovo are implementing double standards regarding the field of religious freedoms”.

Referring to the last case for the mosque, KMDLNJ says:

This response by KMDLNJ comes after launching a petition opposing the construction of the large mosque in Pristina, as well as failing to grant construction permits.

That was after KMDLNY was allowed to build cathedrals instead of the school where it was, the church in Lapusnik as well as Peja Patricka, who has also diverted the river.

KMDLNj recognises petition rights as one of the democratic means with which an initiative that goes to the expense or benefit of citizens is opposed or supported. With the last petition, exemptions are being made on religious grounds, the rights of a religious community (Albanians of Islamic, Turkish, Goran, Bosniak, Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian citizens of Kosovo) are being violated, denying them the basic right to building cult objects even if they are not opposed to the law. It is estimated that approximately 85% of Kosovo's citizens are of the Islamic faith, so with this petition, there is no legal, human, moral and logical basis being rendered a very bad service to the good interreligious reports that have been in Kosovo so far

With this petition, the human rights of Islamic believers in Kosovo are being jeopardised despite ethnic affiliation as if a dangerous discurs is encouraging, that of division on religious grounds.

With this petition, a pressure is being put on Pristina municipal authorities, who are responsible for granting urban permit to build the mosque at the location shared by the same municipality, with another mayor.

This petition should not be ignored because it is contrary to human rights and the religious rights of a religious community to which such rights were flagrantly revealed. Law-defined standards in the field of religious rights, such as human rights, cannot be applied to double criteria by discriminating one community and favouring others. Unfortunately, implementation of double standards is taking place in Kosovo, even in the field of religious rights and freedoms at the time when we are talking about the universality of human rights as a precondition for a democratic society./Periscopi/