quote:
Muslims across Spain are lobbying the Roman Catholic church in the southern city of Córdoba to make a symbolic gesture of reconciliation between faiths by allowing them to pray in the city's cathedral.1,000 years ago, Córdoba was one of the great cities of the world. As the capital of Moorish Spain, Córdoba became one of Islam's holiest places, and a centre of Islamic art and scholarship to rival Baghdad.
The original mosque was built in the eighth century, following the conquest. With its hundreds of marble columns and distinctive red-and-white brickwork, the mosque is considered one of Moorish Spain's greatest legacies, despite the 16th-century addition of the cathedral in its centre.
For Muslims, the most important part of the mosque is the mihrab, the recess in the south-eastern wall which indicates the direction of Mecca for prayer. In the Córdoba mosque, the mihrab is outside the cathedral itself, so in theory it would be possible for Muslims to pray without affecting ceremonies in the cathedral.
The plan also has support from local politicians. Antonio Hurtado, a spokesman for the local Socialists, told El Mundo: "We hope to see Córdoba become a place for the meeting of faiths."
The city's United Left (IU) mayor, Rosa Aguilar, is also believed to be in favour of the move, although she has said that now is not the time for the council to debate the issue.
"There has been a series of meetings between the IU and the Islamic Council to open up a dialogue between religions," her deputy, Andrčs Ocaňa, told Europa Press. "In today's world, we have to make every effort to maximise our knowledge of different cultures to help us live together better."
Email this thread to someone!
posted 19 April 2004 04:59 AM
