Cuba’s First Mosque Dream Approaches
“Muslims have a right to a mosque,” Cuban Ambassador Albertao Gonzales Casals said during NTV's live broadcast, World Bulletin reported on Saturday, December 20.
“The Muslims in Cuba had submitted a request for a mosque. We are a secular country. We consider the demands of the different religions.
“The Turkish government will help of the Ministry of Religious Affairs will also help with the construction,” he added.
Plans for Cuba’s first mosque were came to light after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a mosque on a hill in Cuba, reportedly mentioned by Columbus.
Erdogan said that Ankara was even prepared to build a mosque at the site mentioned by the Genoese explorer.
The dream mosque was approved following a visit by Turkey’s Religious Affairs Foundation (TDV) delegation to the Cuban department of religious affairs last April.
Designed after the famous Ortakoy mosque in Istanbul, the mosque is being built to serve the city's 3,500 Muslims and will be complete within a year.
According to the plans, the Havana mosque will be 32,300 square feet and have the capacity to serve 500 people.
Land for the mosque has already been allocated in the city's Old Havana district.
According to TDV officials, the 19th century design of Ortakoy mosque was suggested to fit in nicely with the architecture of the surrounding area.
With no mosque available currently, most Cuban Muslims pray in their homes or, on Fridays, in the living room of Pedro Lazo Torre, the leader of Havana’s Muslim community.
“What is important is the requestion of the people living in Havana and we have been considering this for quite some time. This mosque will be built,” ambassador Casals added.
According to the ambassador, Cuba’s population is estimated as 11 million, 5000 of which are Muslims.
