Last week, a video showing Muslims participating in the Eid al-Adha prayer on a football pitch in Esch-sur-Alzette caused an outburst on social media. In light of this apparent controversy, the Shoura (the assembly of the Muslim community in Luxembourg) contextualised the event to RTL Infos, pointing to the lack of space in the mosques. Jahić Jasmin, chairman of the Shoura, explained that despite efforts made to enlarge Luxembourg’s mosques, there is not enough room to accommodate everyone hoping to participate in the Eid prayer - hence the relocation.
Indeed, it is difficult to find spaces in Luxembourg for such large-scale events. The Eid prayer in Esch, for instance, accounted for over a thousand people; no hall in Esch-sur-Alzette could have accommodated such a number.
On top of that, Jasmin adds that Luxembourg is the only country in the European Union without a central mosque at the moment. The Shoura has been campaigning for years for the construction of a mosque with a minaret in the capital.
He then turns to the importance of Esch-sur-Alzette’s designation as European Capital of Culture in 2022, highlighting the city’s openness to multiculturalism and readiness to accommodate to all, as had been the case with the Islamic association Gazi Isa-beg in 2022. To Jasmin, Esch could set a precedent for Luxembourg as a whole.
As for the controversy on social media, Shoura deplores the virulent reactions. Jasmin turns to various reports on Islamophobia, explaining that ‘visibility bothers some people, especially when a visible act of worship of another culture is unfamiliar.’ To him, the negative reactions on social media are caused by this fear of the unfamiliar.
After all, the Eid prayer had taken place away from residential areas and therefore could not have inconvenienced anyone apart from those who had taken photos and videos of the gathering without the knowledge of the participants, Jasmin adds. ‘At no time did the Muslim community of Esch intend to popularise a religious practice or offend anyone.’
There were many positive reactions, too, but Jasmin stresses that no form of hate speech can be tolerated or justified. Some of the comments had namely been reported to the Islamophobia Observatory based on their negative nature.
Once again, Shoura underlines that the gathering was fully authorised to take place on the Jeunesse Esch football pitch and expressed its gratitude to the municipality of Esch-sur-Alzette for having taken into consideration the needs of its Muslim citizens.
Some of the Eid prayer participants even play for the Luxembourgish national team, Shoura concluded in its statement.
Mayor confirms Esch football pitch prayer session was authorised
