MOSQUE IN GERMANY

After years of controversy, the Muslim community in Cologne in the western Germany has taken the first concrete step towards building a grand mosque. Members of the Turkish Islamic organization, Ditib, laid the foundation stone for a 25-million-euro for what is expected to be one of Europe’s biggest mosques. The futuristic design is said to include a large dome and two 55-metre minarets.  The construction of the mosque, which is expected to be completed in two years’ time, is set to begin after a long and acrimonious dispute between Ditib and non-Muslim residents of the city which is home to the Cologne cathedral, one of the most renowned cathedrals in the world. Opponents of the mosque say it will spoil Cologne’s skyline, by diverting attention from the Gothic cathedral. Right-wing extremists have been particularly vocal in their opposition to the construction of the mosque and staged a small protest. The heated debate leading up to the ceremony echoes the tensions that emerged in Berlin where a mosque was constructed in recent years. Some analysts say it points to the intensifying conflict between a growing Muslim community in the country and across western Europe.