[WATCH] Hundreds of Muslims gather for Friday prayers in Floriana

Malta Muslim Council Foundation says lack of information led to 'lack of understanding' • Video by Ray Attard

The Muslim community which for the past weeks was gathering for Friday prayers in a garden in Msida today met in Floriana after government intervened to help the Malta Muslim Council Foundation end its 15-year-long pursuit for regularised places of worship.

Addressing the press once the prayers were over, the Malta Muslim Council Foundation spokesperson Bader Zina said that the Muslim community was seeking regularised places of worship in full adherence to Maltese planning laws. He added that "a lack of information, education and communication led to a lack of understanding of who we are and what we are doing."

Expressing his delight at the temporary arrangement offered by government, Zina said the Malta Muslim Council Foundation looks forward to having its own places of worship "in full respect of the Maltese law."

The council has seen four places of worship closed down following MEPA's failure to regularise these venues.

The latest refusal came in August of last year when the council had filed an application for the change of use of a large garage in Sta Venera, but despite being given the green light by the MEPA case officer, the permit was blocked after the local council objected to the change of use to turn the site into a multi-purpose hall. One of the council's main objections was that it did not want to host a mosque in the locality.

The education ministry today provided transport from Msida to Floriana since the change of venue was only announced yesterday and the location was unknown to many people attending the Friday prayers. The chargé d’affaires representing Libya's self-declared Tripoli government Hussin Misrati was among the people present for today's prayers.