Morocco to close 1,250 mosques
By IANSTuesday, August 10, 2010
RABAT - The Moroccan government will close 1,256 mosques found to be “unsafe” to avoid the repeat of a minaret collapse that killed 41 people in February this year.
Mohammed VI, the king of Morocco, ordered all the country’s mosques to be examined after a centuries-old minaret of a mosque in Meknes fell during Friday prayers.
Meknes, an ancient city, is on the Unesco’s World Heritage list.
The ministry of religious affairs has said over 500 mosques would be completely demolished and rebuilt, the BBC reported, adding that makeshift tents would be provided for prayers.
The ministry said it has inspected over 19,000 of the country’s nearly 48,000 mosques. A sum of $325 million has been set aside for improvement work, including demolition and rebuilding of 513 mosques.
