A shot inside the Mesquita Córdoba
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Muslim groups are trying to convince Church leaders of the Cathedral of Cordoba in southern Spain - once the Great Mosque of Cordoba - to allow for both Muslim and Christian worship within the premises.
But the Bishop of Cordoba, Demetrio Fernandez, says sharing the space with Muslims would be like a man sharing his wife with another man, according to a report on the Christian Today website.
"There are things that are shared and others that are not, and the Cathedral of Cordoba is not shared with Muslims," said Fernandez, according to the Spanish-language Europa Press.
Built in the 8th century after the Moorish invasion of Spain, the Cordoba house of worship was transformed from a mosque into a cathedral in 1236 when King Ferdinand III captured the city of Cordoba from the Moors.
Since then, except on rare occasions, Muslim prayer rites have been forbidden inside.
Earlier this year, in April, there was a scuffle between police officers and Muslim tourists from Austria who were trying to pray there.
Despite the bishop's rejections, efforts to open Cordoba Cathedral for Muslim prayer and worship are ongoing.
Mansur Escudero, who is leading the push for Muslims to pray at the Cathedral, said the issue is not only important for Muslims but for humankind.
"We want it to be a place where anyone - whether Muslim, Christian or Jew - can do his meditation or his internal way of worshipping, or praying or whatever he wants to call it," he added.
FULL STORY
Muslims lobbying to worship in Spain's Cordoba Cathedral (Christian Today)
PHOTO CREDIT
Roger.Esteban on Flickr
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