The Greek government has given the go-ahead to release 964,000 euros ($1.25 million) for the first official state-sponsored and funded mosque in the country, the alteration of an old building in an Athens neighborhood that has drawn fire from nationalists.
Stavros Kalogiannis, Alternate Minister in the Greek Ministry of Development, Competitiveness, Infrastructure, Transport and Networks signed the approval on May 31 for the mosque, to be located in Votanikos, about 3 kilometers from the city’s center.
The government said the money was authorized to pay for work after a bidding process, unusual in that the money was put up before the estimates for the work were sought.
The government said the structure will not include a minaret, but that hasn’t satisfied opponents who don’t want the government sponsoring or paying for a mosque in a country where it’s been estimated that as many 96 percent of the people are Greek Orthodox. The neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party that has 18 seats in Parliament said it would bring out a huge protest march in opposition.
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