MOSCOW -- Moscow's Southeastern District has decided not to build a new mosque in a park after numerous complaints by local residents concerned about the potential increase in traffic and loss of green space, RFE/RL's Russian Service reports.
"We have looked through the petitions sent by residents and came to the conclusion that there's a possibility to relocate the [location of the planned] mosque," Maria Yermakova, spokeswoman for Moscow's Southeastern District, told RFE/RL. "There's still no information about how and when -- a final decision about the construction of the mosque will be made following public hearings."
Yermakova said the decision on a new location for the mosque has been returned to the Moscow city administration for review, which includes the mayor's office.
The planned site for the mosque -- in a park in the Tekstilshchiki neighborhood -- was designated by the Moscow administration's architectural commission, Moskomarkhitektury.
Previous plans to build a Russian Orthodox Church on Tekstilshchiki's Volzhsky Boulevard were also opposed by residents for similar reasons.
"We have looked through the petitions sent by residents and came to the conclusion that there's a possibility to relocate the [location of the planned] mosque," Maria Yermakova, spokeswoman for Moscow's Southeastern District, told RFE/RL. "There's still no information about how and when -- a final decision about the construction of the mosque will be made following public hearings."
Yermakova said the decision on a new location for the mosque has been returned to the Moscow city administration for review, which includes the mayor's office.
The planned site for the mosque -- in a park in the Tekstilshchiki neighborhood -- was designated by the Moscow administration's architectural commission, Moskomarkhitektury.
Previous plans to build a Russian Orthodox Church on Tekstilshchiki's Volzhsky Boulevard were also opposed by residents for similar reasons.