Thought I'd start a different thread so as not to derail NB's.
A_Wanderer said:
You make it sound as if the two are related, funding Islam vs. funding Christianity.
The cut in funding to churches is part of a wider program of secularization. As it stands there is still religious education in public schools and the Catholic church has special status within the state. They are aiming for a firm separation of church and state. I am all for Zapatero's program. However, I hope they don't go as far as France in banning religious symbols.
Your post was the first I heard about funding mosques. It seems the idea is for the state to help fund mosques instead of having them seek funds from abroad, which could include terrorist organisations. I haven't decided if this is a good or bad idea, I don't know enough about it. Madrid also wants to regulate the Imams, though to what extent I don't know. I have read that it could mean in terms of qualifications for the job, to as far as the regulating the sermons they preach, although I doubt Madrid could or would do that. They could offer money in exchange for a degree of control, but I doubt Muslims here would be happy with that.
There may be another level to funding mosques as well. This is just through conversations I have had on street, but from what I understand it has been very difficult to nearly impossible for Muslims to get permission to build a proper mosque. For example, I live in an area of Barcelona with a large Muslim population, the mosques around here are just commercial spaces on the street. It could be discrimination, perhaps on the part of the Church and the former PP government. Of course Muslims here are 1st generation immigrants and don't have enough money to erect a great mosque, that would also be a factor.
I don't know how much funding mosques contradicts the idea goal of religious state/separation. However the idea behind funding the mosques is not to bring Islam up to the level of influence the Catholic church has.
I have been on holiday for a while (I am a teacher and live in Spain, imagine!), so I have been very lazy at following the news. I'll keep an eye out for more on this.
*Edited for spelling!
A_Wanderer said:
Zapatero is funding Mosques while cutting funding for the Catholic church - I think that he is to far gone feeding the crocodile to ever ally with the Great Satan.
You make it sound as if the two are related, funding Islam vs. funding Christianity.
The cut in funding to churches is part of a wider program of secularization. As it stands there is still religious education in public schools and the Catholic church has special status within the state. They are aiming for a firm separation of church and state. I am all for Zapatero's program. However, I hope they don't go as far as France in banning religious symbols.
Your post was the first I heard about funding mosques. It seems the idea is for the state to help fund mosques instead of having them seek funds from abroad, which could include terrorist organisations. I haven't decided if this is a good or bad idea, I don't know enough about it. Madrid also wants to regulate the Imams, though to what extent I don't know. I have read that it could mean in terms of qualifications for the job, to as far as the regulating the sermons they preach, although I doubt Madrid could or would do that. They could offer money in exchange for a degree of control, but I doubt Muslims here would be happy with that.
There may be another level to funding mosques as well. This is just through conversations I have had on street, but from what I understand it has been very difficult to nearly impossible for Muslims to get permission to build a proper mosque. For example, I live in an area of Barcelona with a large Muslim population, the mosques around here are just commercial spaces on the street. It could be discrimination, perhaps on the part of the Church and the former PP government. Of course Muslims here are 1st generation immigrants and don't have enough money to erect a great mosque, that would also be a factor.
I don't know how much funding mosques contradicts the idea goal of religious state/separation. However the idea behind funding the mosques is not to bring Islam up to the level of influence the Catholic church has.
I have been on holiday for a while (I am a teacher and live in Spain, imagine!), so I have been very lazy at following the news. I'll keep an eye out for more on this.
*Edited for spelling!
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