The mayor of Badalona (Barcelona), Xavier García Albiol of the Peoples Party, reminded people yesterday (Friday) of the Muslim community in the neighborhoods of Artigas and Sant Roc, before the start of Ramadan, this Friday, they may not use the street to pray.
Mayor Albiol said in a statement that this community “should have found a solution to stop praying in the square Camarón de la Isla in the neighborhood of Sant Roc, since it’s been eight months that the city has asked them to seek alternative places to stop and pray in public.”
The mayor went on to say: ”the situation can not be extended beyond this. Those responsible for the Islamic center of Pau Cami knew they had to look for a place to pray before the spring, but they have not.”
“They must find a place to pray”
In this situation, the municipal government announced that it has offered the Muslim communities in the neighborhoods of Sant Roc Artigas the courtyard of the former Badalona 9 secondary school to pray in.
Xavier García Albiol has stated that the Muslim community was offered this alternative in writing, and reminded that it should the pay 31 euros per hour that it costs to use these facilities, plus a deposit of 6,000 euros.
The town hall noted that it has not yet received any response to its proposal by the leaders of the Islamic community.
The mayor lamented that fact and warned that the city of Badalona “will not permit” the 3,000 people using the square on a daily basis to pray for a whole month.