MALTESE OFFICIAL SAYS TWO INFORMAL MOSQUES CLOSED

C O N F I D E N T I A L VALLETTA 000251


DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/WE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/04/2019
TAGS: KIRF KISL PGOV PHUM PREF PREL MT
SUBJECT: MALTESE OFFICIAL SAYS TWO INFORMAL MOSQUES CLOSED
FOR ZONING INFRACTIONS

REF: 07 VALLETTA 423

Classified By: Charge' Davis for reason 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) In a May 20 meeting with Charge' and acting DCM, Malta
Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) Chairman Austin
Walker gave his perspective on the closure last month of two
informal mosques in the seaside towns of Sliema and Bugibba.
Walker explained that in both instances, Maltese citizens who
were Muslims had rented apartments in residential blocks and
then opened them up to other Muslims for use as places of
worship. This was a violation of zoning regulations, and as
complaints from neighbors escalated, MEPA officials had
informed both groups they could no longer use the apartments
for that purpose. In the case of the Bugibba site, the
Muslim group had been formally notified of the need to close
some 18 months ago (reftel); the Sliema group had been so
informed more recently.


2. (C) Earlier this year, Walker related, after being
approached by the MEPA Ombudsman, MEPA had decided it had no
choice but to enforce the closure of both sites. The same
week, however, the Commissioner of Police had called to
inform MEPA that it had charged the leaders of both mosques
with the crime of "using a private residence for
non-residential use without a permit." The Commissioner asked
that MEPA wait until the criminal case was settled before
taking action.


3. (C) Walker said he was initially sympathetic to the
request from the police, but that on further consideration
and discussion within MEPA, came to realize that MEPA had its
own responsibilities vis-a-vis the complaining neighbors. It
was against this background that MEPA moved to seal the doors
of both properties. In the case of the Sliema site,
worshippers for several Fridays running held their prayers on
the seaside promenade outside their former mosque as a
protest.


4. (C) Mr. Walker noted that both congregations were private
groups that had no connection or relationship with Malta's
sole "official" mosque, the much larger, Liybyan-funded
Corradino Mosque in Paola. He said that while Malta does
"safeguard" the Catholic religion as the state religion, the
Maltese nonetheless support the right of people of all other
faiths to worship freely. He regretted that perception in
some quarters that "racism" had been behind the decision to
close the informal mosques and said that ignoring zoning
regulations and holding demonstrations to protest their
enforcement "don't help the Muslims." Walker reported that
he and his officials had urged the leaders of the two mosques
to identify "suitable" properties for their congregations
(MEPA regulations require places of worship to have, inter
alia, private entrances, meaning that residential apartments
are by definition not acceptable).


DAVIS