The City Council’s Environment and Technical Committee has given its final approval to zoning changes that will permit the construction of two mosques, one in the Amager district and one in the Nordvest district.
Last night’s 9-2 vote brings an end to nearly four decades of discussion about building the city’s first proper mosque.
Muslim groups are applauding the move. They say the vote sends a message that the city respects their religion and views it on an equal footing with other faiths.
Others, however, have voiced their opposition, particularly due to the design of the Nordvest building.
According to drawings for the 2,000 sq metre building released last year, the Shiite mosque on Vibevej Road will feature a blue onion dome standing 24 metres tall, and two 32 metre minarets. Due to noise concerns, the minarets will not be permitted to be used to call Muslims to prayer.
During the month-long hearing process about the Nordvest mosque earlier this year, some 1,156 people contacted the city with their opinion, compared with 93 for the one in Amager. In each case, about half were against. Most mentioned the designs, while others pointed to noise and increased traffic as problems.
In voting against the change, councillors Jacob Næsager, Conservative, and Karin Storgaard, Danish People’s Party, both cited concerns that the classical Muslim design of the Nordvest mosque was out of place in the working class neighbourhood.
Storgaard added that part of her opposition came from concerns that the 50 million kroner needed to build the Nordvest mosque would come from Iranian organisation Ahlul Bayt.
Currently, city Muslims gather for prayer in converted buildings, but once Muslim congregations secure enough funding, they expect to be worshipping in the new mosques within two years after construction begins.
Discussions about building a mosque in Copenhagen began in the 1970s, when Muslim ambassadors brought up the idea with the City Council.