Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/736806
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 9 OCTOBER 2016 9 JURGEN BALZAN THIS afternoon members of the Ghaqda Patrijotti Maltin will de- scend on the streets of Bugibba to protest against what they are saying is an "illegal Mosque" in the multi- ethnic tourist hotspot. The protest, planned for 4pm, co- incides with the afternoon prayers which are habitually held in the premises on Triq il-Mazzola, and the right-wing and Islamophobic group's march is being considered as provocative. Asked whether it was aware of this, the police said it did not receive any application by the Muslim com- munity to hold any activity at the same time, adding that "it is a Con- stitutional right for a person or a group of persons to hold a protest if this is carried out in the parameters of the law." The police said that the permit was issued according to law, "as there was nothing adverse and there were no objections to this application." However, MaltaToday is informed that the founding members of the Malta Muslim Council Foundation – responsible for the community prayers in Bugibba – will be on site to "extend a hand of friendship" to the protesters and avoid any trouble in a potentially explosive situation since they intend to hold prayers despite the lack of planning permits. MaltaToday understands that al- though there have been attempts on both sides to reach out to each other, the protest will go ahead as planned while the prayers will be held in the subterranean room as they have been for the last five years. In a video message, one of the 'pa- triots'' ringleaders, Henry Battistino, urged people to attend the protest and said that "nobody should be al- lowed to take advantage of the Mal- tese people's generosity." Describing the area in Bugibba where Muslims have been congre- gating for years as one of many "no- go areas" he called on supporters to maintain discipline. In another video posted on the Is- lamophobic group's Facebook page, one of the organisers, Simon Borg, is seen standing outside the Bugibba church from where the protest will depart and says "no to a mosque in Bugibba, no to a mosque anywhere, in any part of Malta and Gozo." This comes after the St Paul's Bay local council unanimously decided to object to a planning application to turn a subterranean room into a prayer room for the growing Mus- lim community in the area. Mayor Graziella Galea said the council opposed the permit because the proposed prayer room was in- adequate for worship, and would create a hindrance to public order and increase problems of parking space. Muslims welcome Catholic school's offer The Malta Muslim Council Foun- dation had a similar application turned down by the Planning Au- thority some 10 years ago for the change of use of another venue, in St Paul's Bay while more recently the Sta Venera local council objected to a change of use of a premises in the locality because they determined that the venue would be used as a mosque. This prompted the Dominican Order to offer St Albert the Great College's facilities in Valletta to the Muslim community. Dominican provincial Fr Frans Micallef and school headmaster Mario Mallia said that the objec- tions to the change of use of the Bugibba premises to a prayer room are "suspicious and inconsistent because they are not used against other communities." Micallef and Mallia added that the council and other people op- posed to Muslim places of worship were using two weights and two measures, especially when Maltese Catholics had plenty of places of worship, and Muslims are being de- nied their right to worship. Underlining the Dominican Or- der and the college's commitment to welcome children and people of all religions, including Muslims, Mi- callef and Mallia said "we celebrate hospitality as an integral part of our Christian and human identity," adding that they cannot "sit on the fence." The noble offer was not welcomed by all, with the Ghaqda Patrijotti Maltin's Battistino describing it as "strange, ridiculous, impracticable and above all dangerous." But the move was welcomed by the Malta Muslim Council Founda- tion and after a meeting between the community's leaders and Mal- lia on Friday, it was decided that the best way to use the school facilities was to hold educational and cultural events. A Malta Muslim Council Foun- dation representative, Bader Zeina, told MaltaToday that the meeting was very positive and "although the school is not adequate to hold prayers as this would clash with oth- er school activities we spoke about using the facilities for educational and cultural events which would bring the communities together." News 2017 MALTESE PRESIDENCY OF THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION CALL FOR THE PROVISION, INSTALLATION AND DISMANTLING OF LARGE FORMAT PRINTING AND SIGNAGE The Parliamentary Secretariat for EU Presidency 2017 and EU Funds, within the Ministry for European Affairs and Implementation of the Electoral Manifesto, notifies that a call for the provision, installation and dismantling of large format printing and signage in relation to Malta's Presidency of the Council of the EU 2017 has been issued. The documents are available to download online from www.etenders.gov.mt. JAMES DEBONO A four-storey high, 53-room hotel and two terraced hous- es are being proposed out- side development boundaries along Triq ix-Xaghra and Triq Marsalforn in Xaghra, Gozo. The 1,800 sq.m site consists of an old farmhouse which will be demolished, and agricultural land. The development is being proposed by Alfred Refalo, the sole owner of the land in ques- tion. An application to develop semi-detached bungalows was rejected by the PA in 1993 when the land belonged to an- other owner. In 2007, another application was presented by Camland Ltd, owned by Charles Camilleri (il-Franciz), for the construction of apart- ments, but the application was later withdrawn. Another ap- plication to redevelop an exist- ing building on the same site was rejected in August 2013. Part of the area is already designated as a Category 1 ru- ral hamlet, which means new buildings can only be allowed if these "respect the rural con- text". A number of such per- mits were issued on adjacent sites in the past, and the pro- posed hotel will abut on a re- cently redeveloped building. ODZ hotel proposed in Xaghra 'Patriots' to protest during Muslim prayers in Bugibba 'Patriots' earlier this year protesting outside Msida church where Muslims held prayer meetings. The protestors distributed pork sandwiches