Three SVP councilors: Christian Vogel, Sascha Schmid and Philipp Köppel raise critical questions in the St. Gallen parliament regarding the new mosque.
An association of Albanian Muslims is planning to build a large new mosque on Fürstenlandstrasse, St. Glen. The project is still in the early stages; no official building applications have yet been submitted.
Regarding the construction of the mosque, which will cost around 15 million francs, it has been widely reported in recent days in the Swiss and Albanian media, writes Albinfo.ch.
The plan is for a new building with an area of approximately 1,000 square meters and space for several hundred worshippers. The total cost is estimated at up to 15 million Swiss francs, with around ten million going for construction and another five million for the land, the newspaper "Blick" wrote.
The project is being led by the Al-Hidayah Islamic Community, which has run a smaller mosque in St. Gallen for several years. The association is already actively raising funds for the large-scale project. According to statements from representatives of the association, they have generated around three million Swiss francs so far, including from fundraising events in the region.
In addition to a prayer hall, the planned building will also include other uses, such as commercial space and a café, which will also be open to non-Muslims.
Details regarding funding and further timelines are still open. The initiators remain publicly reserved, as the project is still in the early stages of development.
Meanwhile, in the Canton where the mosque is expected to be built, voices have been heard contesting it.
Thus, the three SVP cantonal councilors, Christian Vogel, Sascha Schmid and Philipp Köppel, raised critical questions in the St. Gallen parliament regarding the new large mosque, writes gossau24.ch.
The St. Gallen government must justify the planned new mosque in the city of St. Gallen: Three SVP cantonal councilors have submitted a motion demanding answers regarding the financing, legal framework and potential social impact of the project, albinfo.ch reports.
They demand that the St. Gallen government clarify eight questions.
In addition to the three original signatories, the motion is supported by seven other SVP cantonal councilors.
Below are highlights from the SVP motion in the Cantonal Parliament.
“We demand that the government of St. Gallen answer the following questions individually: What measures is the government of St. Gallen taking against Islamist extremism in and around mosques?; How does the canton monitor the origin and proper taxation of their compensation?; What measures is the government of St. Gallen taking to prevent the formation of parallel societies with their own Islamic rules or legal systems around mosques?; What measures is the government of St. Gallen taking to prevent mosques from creating and practicing rules that contradict Swiss order and culture (for example, gender equality, headscarves for girls, refusal to shake hands, separation of women)?; Where does the money for the planned new mosque in St. Gallen come from?; What measures is the government of St. Gallen taking to prevent Islamic states, their religious or cultural branches, or other foreign organizations from contributing money to the planned mosque in St. Gallen and thereby exerting influence on Muslims in the canton?
The government now has three months to provide a written response. The cantonal councillors state unequivocally that they reject parallel Islamic societies, foreign funding and any violation of Swiss values.
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