Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) – The Islamic community has started work on a mosque on land belonging to the parish of “Mater Admirabilis" in downtown Dungu, in the Diocese of Doruma-Dungu, northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The mosque would then stand right next to the Catholic Church. "It's an old issue that was raised once again. It seems to me to be a provocation that could have been avoided," Bishop Richard Domba Mady, Bishop of Doruma-Dungu, tells Fides. "We have all the documents proving that the land belongs to the Catholic Church. We have sent them to local authorities, so that the justice and land rights may be clearly established."
According to "Les Amis de la Mission," news agency, promoted by the Pontifical Mission Societies of Congo, the parish priest, Fr. Remy Mbeliaro, has sent a letter to the competent authorities which shows, in a documented, that the land has belonged to the Diocese of Dungu Doruma since December 12, 1968.
"Les Amis de la Mission" says that it is not the first time that Muslims seek to build on that land. In 1980, the Commissioner of the Region of the Islamic community had granted permission to temporarily occupy the land, to build a house but not a mosque. "No one disputes the right of the local Islamic community, which incidentally is not very large, to build a mosque, but not on church land where, among other things, we plan to build schools and other facilities. Why situate the place of Islamic worship right next to a church? It seems to me to be a provocation," Bishop Domba Mady tells Fides.
In 2002, a quarrel arose between the two communities over the possession of the land, and now in 2010, the construction of the mosque has begun. According to some sources of "Les Amis de la mision,” the construction of the mosque had received logistical support from the United Nations Mission in Congo (MONUC), particularly in the transport of construction materials. "We have no evidence of the involvement of MONUC in the construction of the mosque, but an impression, yes, because many of the UN soldiers are Muslims. If so, this would be a violation of the mandate of the MONUC and the principle of impartiality which are required Blue Helmets," concluded Bishop Domba Mady. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 16/1/2010)
