Daniel Ventura, municipal councilor for the Environment, interviewed by El Faro de Melilla, justified this measure by explaining that it only concerned the Central Mosque, identified as the main source of noise pollution in the historic center. He insisted on the fact that municipal technicians had only applied the law and that any inaction on their part would have constituted an “offence of prevarication”. Ventura also clarified that this restriction was aimed at “not harming the entire Muslim community for a single mosque.”
Despite the municipality’s efforts to minimize the impact of this measure, the CIM expressed its “rejection” in a press release, denouncing a “disproportionate restriction” infringing on religious freedom. The advisor said he was “surprised” by this reaction, recalling that a meeting had taken place with the president of the CIM, Farid Abdel-Lah, to discuss the issue and consider solutions, including the possibility of reducing the volume sound of the call to prayer. “The subject was handled with great sensitivity, as we do not want to have a negative impact on religious issues. We asked that he speak with the imam to reduce the decibels, because our intention is not to offend sensitivities,” Ventura said.
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The CIM, however, maintained its position, believing that this measure hindered the right of Muslims to practice their faith. This imbroglio seems to reveal deeper tensions between the religious federation and certain Muslim associations. The advisor also suggested that the CIM was using this affair to fuel the discontent of the Muslim community against the municipality. “There is a conflict between the entities and, in the end, it falls on the technician and me. The CIM involved us in this matter so that Muslims would point the finger at us,” he lamented.
Remember that Melilla has 17 Muslim places of worship, including the Central Mosque, inaugurated in 1947, which is the largest and most important in the city. The population of Melilla is composed, almost equally, of Muslims, mainly of Moroccan origin, and Christians.
Morocco
