Montenegro’s Muslims are working on rebuilding the Balkans country’s oldest mosque, which was brought down almost eight decades ago.

“Preparations are underway to reconstruct the Marinareve mosque,” Omer Halil Kajshaj, foreign relations chief at the Islamic Sheikhdom in Montenegro, told IslamOnline.net.

Built in the resort city of Ulcinj off the Adriatic Sea, the mosque was established by Muslim Arab sailors in the fourteenth century.

The ancient mosque was demolished in 1931 by Serbian authorities at the time to obliterate any Islamic feature of Ulcinj.

Kajshaj will rebuilt in its original design and architecture.

“It is part of the Sheikhdom’s efforts to maintain the Muslim identity at Montenegro,” which gained independence from Serbia in 2006, added the Muslim activist.

He said the Sheikhdom is already building another grand mosque in the heart of Ulcinj and the first Muslim secondary school in the capital Podgorica to meet the growing religious needs of the Muslim minority.

“This mosque will accommodate 1,000 worshippers,” noted Kajshaj.

Had it not been for the incumbent secular government, these Muslim projects would have not come into being.

“Our relationship with authorities are just perfectly fine. They gave us the historical land of the Ulcinj mosque and proved forthcoming in issuing necessary permits to rebuild it,” Kajshaj explained.

There are 26 mosques in Ulcinj, mostly based at the city’s suburbs and villages.

Muslims make up 20 percent of Montenegro’s 630,500 population.

Challenges

Kajshaj appealed to Muslims to donate to rebuild the Ulcinj mosque as soon as possible.

“Building another mosque in central Ulcinj, the Sheikhdom cannot alone undertake this mammoth effort,” said Kajshaj.

The rebuilding is estimated to cost in the region of 600,000 euros.

“We have opened a bank account and welcome any donations,” added Kajshaj.

Opposition from local businessmen is another challenge facing the Ulcinj mosque.

“Local businessmen want to build a hotel at the mosque’s site because the area is a picturesque tourist attraction,” said Kajshaj.

“Authorities are standing by us but at least for the time being and no body knows whether future governments would throw a spanner in the good work,” he warned

IslamOnline.net
http://video.zoover.nl/media/play/2010/01/20100125130811_025.flv