Mosque Proposal Sparks Controversy in Liège Neighborhood

The Ahmadiyya Muslim community has identified this site to build a place of worship, a cultural center, and a seven-apartment building. The religious movement wishes to transform this space into a "true green lung within the neighborhood." But some local residents do not adhere to the initiative and have made it known by submitting a petition signed by 83 people to the municipal authorities, reports La Dernière Heure.

The signatories of the petition fear that the project is unsuitable for their neighborhood, stressing that there are "enough mosques and Muslim cultural centers." For its part, Ahmadiyya argues that "this new place of worship would help to decongest the current mosques." And to add: "It’s more than a place of worship, it’s a center open to all in a spirit of peaceful coexistence."

The residents of Bressoux raise another problem: the lack of parking spaces. "Only 20 spaces are planned for the apartments and worshippers," they note. A project to build a 17-space underground parking lot is under study. The residents say they prefer "a playground or a green space open to all ages" rather than a "project intended for the use of a specific group that would lower the market value of their home."

Clearly, "this project has the opposite effect expected during the demolition of the Droixhe towers." The signatories of the petition announce "the creation of a ghetto," recalling the fire that hit Notre-Dame du Rosaire last April. Another problem raised is the timing. "It is disturbing to note that one of the last churches in the neighborhood has recently caught fire [Editor’s note: accidentally, we remind you] and that, in the wake of this, a minaret project is now on the agenda."