This Europe: Muslims have to make Olympian effort to reach Athens mosque

Athens, host city of the 2004 Olympics, is the only European Union capital without a recognised place of worship for Muslims. That is about to change, and work will begin on the first official mosque by the end of the year. But Muslim communities have alleged the plan is simply an Olympic showpiece.

The decision to build the mosque in Paiania, 12 miles outside the city, puts it beyond the reach of most worshippers, prompting community leaders to accuse authorities of Olympic tokenism that fails to take account of the needs of resident Muslims. "Without the Olympics this would not be happening," said Moavias Ahmet, a Sudanese community leader.

"This mosque will be unusable for the people it's supposedly being built for." The site is a two-hour bus ride from the rundown central neighbourhoods in which live most of Athens' 100,000 Arab, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Afghan and Indian immigrants.

Panayiote Dimitras of the human rights organisation Helsinki Monitor said: "We're not talking about people who can get into their helicopters, most of these people don't have cars."

In the absence of an official mosque, Muslims have converted basements and rented rooms into places of worship.

Twenty-two unrecognised mosques have sprouted up around greater Athens and community leaders blame a climate of fear for people's reluctance to apply for legal recognition of them.

First-generation immigrants, who make up the bulk of Muslims, feared a crackdown on their religious activities if they sought recognition of unofficial mosques. "There is a negative climate created by a strong lobby led by the [Greek Orthodox] Church and nationalists who resist equality for others," Mr Dimitras said.

The absence of an official mosque was raised by Alvaro Gil-Robles, human rights commissioner of the Council of Europe during a visit in July. He was assured by the Greek Orthodox Church that it would not oppose the Paiania plans.

But Archbishop Christodoulos of Greece has opposed creating a mosque in central Athens, claiming public opinion is against it.

Mr Dimitras pointed to the use of underground Muslim organisations by international terrorist groups and warned the Greek government to legalise existing mosques to avoid pushing worshippers into the arms of extremists.

"The government has to take the initiative in giving legal recognition. It is likely that criminalising people will push them into contact with illegal organisations," he said.