"Romania is not a Turkish province."
by Soeren Kern
The original deal called for a "mutual exchange" in which Romania would build...
a
new Orthodox Church in Istanbul, while Turkey would build the mosque in
Bucharest. In July 2015, however, Prime Minister Victor Ponta revealed
that the Romanian government had abandoned the Istanbul church project
because it is "not allowed under Turkish law." Ponta approved the
Bucharest mosque project anyway, saying it was a multicultural symbol of
Romania's acceptance of the Muslim community.
Ponta's
decision to approve the mosque, which will mimic Ottoman-era
architecture, was greeted with outrage in a country that was under
Ottoman Turkish domination for nearly five centuries until 1877.
"This
plan is not about worship, it is about marking the territory of their
authority through a monument." – Ozgur Kazim Kivanc, a Turkish activist
opposed to Erdoğan's destruction of public commons to build mosques.
"Once
Islam enters a land, that land becomes Islamic and Muslims have the
duty to liberate it someday. Spain, for example, is Islamic land, and so
is Eastern Europe: Romania, Albania, Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo and
Bosnia..." – Omar Bakri Muhammad, a prominent Sunni Islamist cleric.
"We
consider the disposal of free land which, ironically, belonged to the
family of Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu, who was beheaded by the Turks
on August 15, 1714, to be a betrayal of the Romanian people." – Pending
lawsuit calling on the court to annul the government's grant of free
city land for the mosque project.
Opponents
of a proposed Turkish mega-mosque in Romania's capital, Bucharest, have
filed a lawsuit against the government in an effort to halt the
project. The court is set to begin hearing the case on October 14.
The lawsuit seeks
to reverse a June 2015 decision by the Romanian prime minister at the
time, Victor Ponta, to approve construction of what could become the
largest mosque in Eastern Europe — second only to the Blue Mosque in
Istanbul — on a large tract of city-owned land in northern Bucharest.
The
property, valued at more than four million euros ($4.4 million), is
being provided for free by the Romanian government, while the
construction costs, estimated at three million euros ($3.3 million), are
being paid for by Turkey.
Ponta
said the mosque will reap economic benefits for Romania because Turkey
is the country's leading non-EU trading partner. The mosque's critics,
including an array of Romanian academics, historians, politicians,
anti-immigration groups and even some Muslims, counter that not only
will it increase Turkish influence over Romania, it will also encourage
Muslim immigration to the country.
The Bucharest mosque is the result of
more than a decade of talks between the Romanian and Turkish
governments. The original deal called for a "mutual exchange" in which
Romania would build a new Orthodox Church in Istanbul, while Turkey
would build the mosque in Bucharest.
In July 2015, however, Ponta revealed that
the Romanian government had abandoned the Istanbul church project
because it is "not allowed under Turkish law." Ponta approved the
Bucharest mosque project anyway, saying it was a multicultural symbol of
Romania's acceptance of the Muslim community.
Ponta's
decision to approve the mosque, which will mimic Ottoman-era
architecture, was greeted with outrage in a country that was under
Ottoman Turkish domination for nearly five centuries until 1877.
"Turkey attempts a symbolic conquest of Europe through these mosques," said Tudor
Ionescu, leader of the anti-immigration Noua Dreaptă (New Right) party.
"I don't know why we are the recipients of such a 'blessing.'" Noua
Dreaptă has organized protests against the project where people have chanted, "Romania is not a Turkish province."
Romanians protest against a proposed Turkish mega-mosque in Bucharest, April 10, 2016. (Image source: RT video screenshot)
|
Critics
say the large size of the mosque is out of proportion to the small size
of Bucharest's Muslim population. The 13,000 square meter (140,000
square foot) project, to be situated near
the Romexpo trade fair grounds, includes a mosque for 2,000
worshippers, a Koran school, a library and a recreational center.
Bucharest
is home to around 9,000 Muslims who are being served by ten mosques
scattered throughout the city. The Muslim population of Romania is
65,000, or less than one percent of the country's population of 19.5
million. Most are ethnic Turks and Tatars living in the Dobrogea region
of eastern Romania.
In an interview with Balkan Insight, historian Ionut Cojocaru said:
"It
is a bit surprising, building such a big mosque in a country where the
number of Muslims is very small. This is just a sign of Turkey's
neo-Ottoman policy, which is designed to promote its economic and
political interests all around the Balkans."
Turkey has been on a mega-mosque building spree across
the Balkans and Eastern Europe as part of an effort by Ankara to expand
its influence — and its brand of Islam — in the region.
In interviews with
Balkan specialist Michael Bird, several observers said that Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's international mosque-building program
is part of a plan to project Turkey as the pre-eminent Muslim nation.
"Ultimately
every mosque abroad with a Turkish brand name seems to contribute to
the discourse of Turkey as a leading Islamic power," said Kerem Oktem, Professor of Modern Turkey at the University of Graz.
Ozgur Kazim Kivanc, an activist opposed to Erdoğan's destruction of public commons to build mosques, added:
"The
Roman Empire used to build temples on the places they took over to
remind people of their conquest. We believe the instinct is the same.
Places of worship are not compulsory for a belief system to spread —
especially in Islam. This plan is not about worship, it is about marking
the territory of their authority through a monument."
Former
Romanian President Traian Basescu worries that the Bucharest mosque
could fuel Islamic extremism in the country. He has said the mosque
project is "irresponsible" and a threat to national security. On
Facebook he wrote:
"Perhaps
you cannot imagine a subway station in Bucharest, during rush hour,
where a young man would blow himself up in the name of Allah. Or perhaps
your intelligence cannot help you imagine young Romanians who have
failed in life being sent off to training camps in Syria, Iraq or
Afghanistan and brought back to Europe in order to bring us the benefits
of the Islamic State."
Islamic State has repeatedly stated that
Romania and other parts of Eastern Europe and the Balkans are part of
its "pan-Islamic Caliphate." Omar Bakri Muhammad, a prominent Sunni
Islamist cleric who has recruited British
jihadis for Islamic State, has alleged that Romania is Islamic
territory. In an interview with the Bulgarian daily 24 Chasa (24 Hours),
he said:
"Once
Islam enters a land, that land becomes Islamic and Muslims have the
duty to liberate it someday. Spain, for example, is Islamic land, and so
is Eastern Europe: Romania, Albania, Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo and
Bosnia..."
Basescu
has also said he believes the mosque — the first purpose-built mosque
in the Romanian capital (the existing places of Muslim worship in the
city are buildings converted into mosques or prayer rooms) — is not
actually meant for Bucharest's Muslim population, but for Muslim
migrants who will arrive in the years ahead.
During a visit to Romania in April 2015, President Erdoğan said the mosque will be the "the most beautiful expression of dialogue and solidarity between the two countries."
A Romanian Muslim leader, however, expressed skepticism
about Turkey's intentions. "We heard about it on TV, like everyone
else," he said. "We are Romanian Muslims, but now the Turkish are coming
and they get the land. When they complete the building, they won't even
allow us there. So we are sold, thrown out."
During
an official visit to Turkey in March 2016, Romanian President Klaus
Iohannis tried to reassure Erdoğan that the mosque project is moving
forward, despite mounting opposition at home. Commenting on the trip,
the daily România Liberă wrote:
"Apparently
Iohannis demanded nothing but a measly Orthodox chapel that will
probably be built somewhere on the outskirts of Istanbul in exchange for
the construction of the mosque.... Erdoğan has inherited from the
Ottomans the skill of making his guests feel more important than they
are. ... Iohannis was welcomed with a military ceremony including the
firing of 21 cannon salvoes which only sultans offer their guests. ...
In the end, however, Erdoğan will despise him for letting himself be
tricked and making it so easy for him to turn the president of an EU
state into a vassal of his court."
Some Romanian politicians are now calling for a referendum on the mosque. More than 90% of the public is opposed to the project, according to an online survey conducted by the mainstream newspaper Gândul.
Meanwhile,
the pending lawsuit calls on the court to annul the government's grant
of free city land for the mosque project. The lawsuit states:
"We
consider the disposal of free land which, ironically, belonged to the
family of Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu, who was beheaded by the Turks
on August 15, 1714, to be a betrayal of the Romanian people. In the
current context in which all of Europe is being brought to its knees by
terrorist attacks by Muslim extremists, we are entitled to fear the
establishment of Islamic learning schools. We believe the Romanian state
is unable to ensure the security of its citizens, and approving a
mega-mosque in Romania could set a precedent with unintended
catastrophic consequences."
Soeren Kern is a Senior Fellow at the New York-based Gatestone Institute.
He is also Senior Fellow for European Politics at the Madrid-based
Grupo de Estudios Estratégicos / Strategic Studies Group.Follow him on Facebook and on Twitter.
Follow Soeren Kern on Twitter and Facebook
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