Catholic Church turned to Mosque in Venice

Church becomes Mosque

According to prominent New York Times, Today, Friday, 8th, May 2015, as part of the Venice Biennale, a former Catholic church in the Cannaregio neighborhood will open its doors as a functioning mosque,
its walls adorned with Arabic script, its floor covered with a prayer rug angled toward Mecca and its crucifix mosaics hidden behind a towering prayer niche.It was learnt that for the next seven months Venice will find itself in the middle of a constant debate about Islam’s place in Europe.Known for is arts and alluring architectural beauty, Venus remains one of the few European cities without a mosque near its historic centre, which has left Islamic residents with no choice than to pray in storerooms and shops.Following the scene of a rising Islamophobia in Venice and Italy in general and fears like those in France which had to deal with a terrorist attack recently, Muslim leaders in Venice said they saw the proposal to create a temporary mosque as a perfect way to communicate their desire to more fully participate in the life of their city.
“Sometimes you need to show yourself, to show that you are peaceful and that you want people to see your culture,” said Mohamed Amin Al Ahdab, president of the Islamic Community of Venice, which represents Muslims of about 30 nationalities living in greater Venice.

image source: Newyork times