Moscow, September 13, 2010
Photo by Sergei Mukhamedov (kp.ru)
The proposed mosque did not stir any reaction until it became known that the building would occupy four thousand square meters, with a minaret and a madrasah (the Moslem equivalent of a divinity school), on the only green space in the region. Only a few years back, an Orthodox parish was denied a building permit on the same space. Officials explained the refusal by citing communications and a bomb shelter located there.
As one participant in the protest noted with indignation, the traffic in the area is already very heavily congested, and the subway station is packed daily. A large public meeting place would greatly exacerbate the already difficult situation. Furthermore, the proposed building site is in a park that currently provides the sole common outdoor rest for stressed city dwellers of the area. "We want the local officials to listen to the opinion of the local people before they make their decision," one of the organizers said.
Most of the participants were middle-aged and young people. According to statistics gathered by the newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda, 700 to 800 people were present at the protest.
