BBC Slams Athens for Not Having Single Mosque; Athens Is Only EU Capital Without a Muslim Ctr.

Stressing that Athens is the only EU (European Union) capital without a mosque, the BBC has revealed that some 300,000 Muslims living in the Greek capital are sandwiched in basements to pray, the To Vima (Greek) website reports today (December 28, 2012).

"The absence of a mosque here (Athens) is a great tragedy for us Muslims," said Mohammad Jamil Sient, a native of Pakistan now living in Athens. He added, "Greece invented democracy, culture, and respect for each other's religion, but does not respect us Muslims enough to give us a normal, legitimate mosque."

There is resistance from various quarters -- including some priests of the Greek Orthodox Church -- that are opposed to a mosque in Athens. Metropolitan Seraphim of Piraeus -- the seaport area of Athens -- told the BBC, "Greece suffered five centuries of Islamic tyranny under the Turkish yoke and construction of the mosque would insult witnesses who liberated us."

A BBC correspondent said Seraphim's viewpoint is Islamophobic and discriminates against Muslims.