New Mosque To Be Built In Tirana

TIRANA, Nov. 16 – Tirana’s mayor Edi Rama, also leader of the main opposition Socialist Party, said Monday that the municipality would allow the construction of a new mosque in the city centre.
He said they would coordinate efforts with the Muslim Community and also well-known designer to do that.
It was not clear whether the funding or any funding would come from the municipality, or any other public source.
He also said that would complete a triangular of religion in Tirana center. The Catholic Church has built its cathedral along the main ring. The Orthodox Church is building its cathedral close to the Defense Ministry and the third point of the triangle will be the new mosque just behind the Palace of Culture at the Skanderbeg Square.
Albania is known for its religious co-existence and keeps it as one of the main values in its world image.
Some months ago it was President Bamir Topi who said after a ceremony that Muslims in the country need to have their place of praying.
Tuesday’s Eid-el-fitr was celebrated at the main boulevard after the main square close to the mosque is under reconstruction.
One would also think or consider that the square is being rehabilitated with a Kuwaiti funding and a mosque could have been one of the requests for that money.
But the announcement from Rama came Monday, just after Prime Minister Sali Berisha, also leader of the governing Democratic Party, announced the launch of the big project of the Tirana ring.
One would certainly believe that both pledges and projects were mainly election-targeted.
Albania is to hold local authorities elections in May next year.
Tirana is a main topic for the parties as the capital has been run from the opposition Socialists for the last three mandates.
Both groupings are trying to get or collect as many voters as possible now with such kind of projects.
That is normal ahead of the elections. It would be good if both, the government and the municipality would also show the source of funding such big projects.