Taroudant, Morocco- According to Al Quds Al Arabi, the Catholic Church’s attempt to take the famous Mosque of Cordoba out of public hands has sparked a heated debate and the disapproval of associations and academics, who are calling for restoring it and making it a world heritage site.
The church of Cordoba has taken advantage of the existence of a law permitting the registration of ownership of houses of worship at a nominal price. In 2006, the church registered the famous mosque under its ownership for 30 euros in accordance with the law. As a result, the famous mosque is expected to become fully owned by the church by 2016 absent objection.
The Mosque of Cordoba, also called the Mezquita and the Great Mosque of Córdoba, which is a public property, is now in the process of registering under the private ownership of the local archbishopric. However, some of the local people in the city have expressed concern, stating that this move is “an effort by the Córdoba Catholic authorities to suppress the monument’s Islamic identity.”
“It’s a historical heritage belonging to all Spaniards,” said Isabel Romero, director of the Islamic Junta, which represents Muslims in Spain, according to Irishtimes. “It’s very strange that it should pass into private hands,” he added.
The director of the Islamic Junta added, “This was the latest of many efforts by the church, which manages the Mezquita, to eliminate the building’s Muslim identity.”
In an attempt to erase the Islamic identity of the Mosque, the official website of the Mosque presents the Islamic ancient historical site under the name “La Catedral de Córdoba,” which in Spanish means Cathedral of Cordoba.
“The Mezquita is a global symbol of the meeting of cultures and today more than ever the world needs symbols like this,” said Antonio Manuel Rodríguez, a professor of civil law at the University of Córdoba, according to Irishtimes.
Muslims of Spain, especially Spaniards who have converted to Islam and who consider themselves eligible for the restoration of the Islamic monuments of Andalusia, are demanding the right to pray in this mosque, just as Christians do.
The Great Mosque of Córdoba, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a medieval Islamic mosque founded by the Umayyad prince Abd al-Rahman I in Andalusia, that was converted into a Catholic Christian cathedral in 1236.
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