GAZA CITY — Despite the repeated Israeli military operations on the besieged Gaza Strip and the destruction of dozens of homes, the construction of prestigious and luxurious mosques worth millions dollars seems to be on the rise.
In recent years, the construction of luxury mosques has outraged the largely impoverished population of the enclave.
Imam al-Shafei Mosque in al-Zaitoun neighborhood was built at a cost of $3.5 million, and
Al-Hassayna Mosque in Gaza City at a cost of more than $2 million. The construction cost of
Al-Khalidi and
Salim Abu Muslim mosques exceeded $1 million each. The Great Mosque in Khan Yunis is another lavishly luxurious mosque, in addition to Sheikh Ajlin’s
Khalil al-Wazir Mosque, which will be opened soon.
Mohammad al-Khalidi, a citizen from Gaza, poured out his resentment of such luxury mosques. “The Ministry of Endowments claims that the donors funding the construction of the mosques want to spend this much money on them. But why would it [the ministry] not inform the donors that there are other fields in Gaza where the donations could be more useful? Mosques can be built at a reasonable cost and the remainder of the donations could be used to build hospitals, schools or residences, for example. A Muslim can pray anywhere that is pure and does not need expensive and lavish decorations,” he told Al-Monitor.
Read more:
Gazans outraged over millions of dollars spent building mosques
(full article online)
The upcoming inauguration of a mosque that was built at a cost of $2 million in the cash-strapped Gaza Strip has shocked residents whose homes have been destroyed by the repeated wars.
www.al-monitor.com