Spain to keep eye on ‘fanatic’ mosques

3 May 2004

MADRID – The Spanish foreign minister said Monday it was important to monitor the sermons in Muslim mosques to isolate fanatics.

Miguel Angel Moratinos, minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, said he agreed with Home Secretary José Antonio Alonso on the importance of knowing the content of sermons delivered at mosques in Spain.

In an interview on private television station Telecinco, Moratinos explained that the number of mosques in Spain has been going up dramatically, especially because nobody has ever worried about the official channels that religious and cultural financing should follow.

Together with the Home Secretary and the Justice Minister, Moratinos wants to investigate Moroccan financing of “unofficial” mosques.

He insisted that even King Mohamed IV declared two days ago that imams should be able to gather their Muslim faithful in official centres and isolate fanatics that try to hide behind religious fronts.

Moratinos denied it would contravene human rights.

Moratinos also made reference to the situation in Iraq, where the US withdrawal to the outskirts of Faluya in favour of the Iraqi police favours Iraq’s restructuring.

After the withdrawal of Spanish troops from Iraq, he insisted nothing has yet been decided on increasing the Spanish contingent in Afghanistan.

He added that the Government’s position is that operations backed by the UN are necessary to establish peace and safety in the world.

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]

 Subject: Spanish news