Demolition of Moscow Grand Mosque is "act of unprecedented barbarity" - Arkhnadzor


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Moscow, September 12, Interfax - The public movement Arkhnadzor has sharply criticized the demolition of the Moscow Grand Mosque.

"The mosque has been demolished despite protests from experts, public heritage defenders, and Muslim organizations all over Russia. An act of unprecedented barbarity multiplied by administrative arbitrariness has occurred in Moscow," Arkhnadzor said in a release received by Interfax-Religion on Monday.

Arkhnadzor said the historical building in Moscow's Vypolzov Pereulok has been a spiritual center of the Moscow Muslim community for over 100 years.

The Moscow authorities first stripped the building of its status as a specially protected object of cultural heritage and then authorized its demolition, despite the fact that no churches have been demolished in Moscow since 1978. Even the Communists did not dare demolish the mosque in the late 1970s, although they had such plans, Arkhnadzor said in its statement.

In September 2011, a recommendation was submitted to the Russian Culture Ministry to recognize the building of the Moscow Grand Mosque as a federal cultural heritage object due to its architectural, historical, and memorial value.

"No arguments stating that the mosque has to be enlarged can justify the demolition of the building, which has unique historical, cultural, and memorial significance not only to Muslims, but to Moscow in general. Nevertheless, the building was promptly destroyed," the statement says.

The demolition of the Moscow Grand Mosque could not have taken place without authorization from the Moscow administration, Arkhnadzor said in its statement.