The construction of the mosque is to begin next year on a plot of land measuring 800 square meters in area, trouvetamosquee website reports.
The mosque will include a prayer hall, a library and an auditorium and will cost 2.5 million Euro to build.
Muslims in Iceland submitted their request for permission to build a mosque in 2000 but faced opposition from the former mayor of Reykjavík.
Even after the capital’s city council approved the plan, the former mayor continued his opposition, claiming that Islam is a religion that is against all other religions and seeks to dominate the world.
“It is now time for Iceland (to be dominated by Islam) and constructing a mosque in Reykjavík is the first step toward that objective,” he said.
Although reliable statistics do not exist, the Muslim population of Iceland is estimated to be approximately 1,200, or 0.4% of the total Icelandic population of 320,000. Most Muslims in Iceland live in the capital Reykjavík, where they make up about 1% of the total population of 120,000.
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