Portuguese Minister Pays ‘Thanks’ Visit to Lisbon Mosque
Minster Machete was accompanied on his visit by the head of the Islamic Community Abdul Karim Vakil and the Mosque Imam, Sheikh David Munir.
In a statement on the government website, Rui Machete explained the visit was an “attempt to transmit a feeling of thanks and admiration for this community which lives in peace, in openness, in tolerance and cherishes fundamental rights, fulfilling that which is the essence of the Muslim religion, so perverted and betrayed by terrorist extremism.”
The Minister stressed that between “the Portuguese Islamic community, which is made up of people who were born in this country, in official Portuguese-speaking countries, or in other countries there is a spirit of tolerance, freedom and fundamental respect.
The Imam of the central mosque in Lisbon, Sheikh David Munir, affirmed the “Portuguese Islamic community has quality” despite being small in quantity, made up of around 50,000 people.
“We are trying to transmit Islam and therefore the doors to the mosques are always open and receive visits from schools – around 8,000 students per years – companies, the scouts, and anonymous people, to break any ice that there may be.”
“The majority of Muslims in the community”, he added, “are Portuguese, are integrated in society and want peace and to get along well.”
Inaugurated in 1985 the Central Mosque of Lisbon is the main mosque of Lisbon, serving the capital city’s Islamic community.
Source: The Portugal News
