Mosque to be built in Eastern Mediterranean University

[iancrumpy]

A few weeks ago it was announced that there would be a giant mosque on the Near East University campus in Lefkoşa. Yesterday, Eastern Mediterranean University's rector confirmed reports that there was also to be a mosque here on its Mağusa campus. He said that preparations had already started to build the "modern, but small" mosque, and that the money for it would come from "religious organisations". The rector also there was a "great need" (büyük ihtiyaç) for such a mosque, because 12 000 of the university's 13 000 students were Muslims.

Source : http://www.gundemkibris.com/bu-kez-de-d ... 35369h.htm

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Many TCs, including my wife, question why it is that after so many years without, there in now such a "great need" for this mosque, as indeed there is for other mosques and religious schools springing up around KKTC at the moment. Many TCs feel that the mosques and schools are all part of the AKP's agenda for the KKTC ... and many even suspect the involvement of Fethullah Gülen.

[andre514]

ian,

many would share your concern, that the character of this part of the
island is being changed, possibly for ever

...but will that influence you and your wifes "holidays" in north cyprus?

after all, whether the mosque is there or not it should not really affect
the sort of sun sea and sangria break that many people look forward to

of course if you truly have the interests of cypriots at heart aren't you
more likely to agonise on whether your accommodation is built on former
greek cypriot or as some would term it, stolen land?

[andrew4232]

i lived in turkey for 5yrs and have seen the way that the AKP are pushing the building of new mosques in all towns i lived in didim which is quite small but you should have seen the size of the mosque that the AKP paid for !! it was the biggest building in the town do i need to say more !

[iancrumpy]

Re : "Will that influence you and your wife's holidays in North Cyprus?"
Andre, please don't presume things about me - My wife and I in fact both work here in Cyprus and we take our holidays , albeit only Istanbul this year, elsewhere

Re : "Of course if you truly have the interests of cypriots at heart ...".
As I wrote in my post, it is the TCs themselves who are more concerned about outside interference in their affairs. As I stated in a previous thread, I am merely trying to relay what's written in the TC press. My actual stance is, yes, I am concerned, but I weigh that up with a paranoia I sense in TC friends, whereby anything coming from Ankara is interference in their affairs ... even my own school had difficulties in being accepted here.

Re : "Aren't you more likely to agonise on whether your accommodation is built on former Greek Cypriot or as some would term it, stolen land?"
Andre, is this your way of writing that expats in general shouldn't concern themselves with such matters, or some "advice" to me personally? If the latter, then you ought to know that my wife and I live in my TC Father-in-law's Lefkosa house, which is definitely not built on "stolen land"

So please, as I requested above, whether it's me or anybody else, don't presume things unless you know them

[Mel7348]

I thought Mosques were usually donated by benefactors not political parties.

Perhaps someone could put me right on this.

I have always thought of TC moslems as being not unlike your average CofE church attender, Baptisms,weddings and funeral only. Still moslem, still christian. Just the funerals for TCs.