Ramadan prayers at site of Virgin Mary statue trigger outrage in Spain

Published time: 13 Jun, 2017 13:41

A Muslim prayer gathering at the site of a Virgin Mary statue has sparked outrage among politicians in the Spanish city of Granada, with a far-right party calling on Catholics to respond with a "night of prayer" at the same site.

The controversial gathering took place on Saturday evening, when dozens of Muslims prayed together in Jardines del Triunfo (Gardens of Triumph) park before breaking their daily Ramadan fast.

Although the event was sanctioned by City Hall and welcomed by Mayor Francisco Cuenca as an act promoting Granada as a "city of co-existence and tolerance," others took issue with the chosen location, because Jardines del Triunfo is the site of a Virgin Mary statue which is cherished by Catholics in the city.

Several politicians took to Twitter to express their outrage, including MP Luis Salvador.

"Mr. Paco Cuenca confuses tolerance and religious respect with provocation. Call for Muslim Prayers at the Virgin of Triumph??" tweeted Salvador, an MP representing Granada.

https://www.rt.com/news/392076-muslim-prayers-spain-outrage/

https://www.thelocal.es/20170613/ramadan-prayers-at-catholic-site-s...

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/06/12/ramadan-prayer-at-feet-virg...