The largest Muslim community in the city of Lleida, Ibn Hazm, prayed this Friday in the Segre canal, under the Príncep de Viana bridge. This time the group did have authorization from the Paeria (the City Council) of Lleida to occupy part of the dirt road. You can also occupy it next Friday.
Ibn Hazm's spokesman, Abdellatif Laatabi, said they were "happy" with the location because they considered it "safe" and allowed "everyone" to attend. Specifically, the prayer has brought together a thousand faithful. Abdellatif Laatabi believes that they cause practically no inconvenience to the neighbors.
The council gave them permission to avoid unauthorized gatherings by Muslims like the one that occurred in that same area of the city two weeks ago, coinciding with Sant Miquel.
The authorization is also valid for the following Friday, while the outdoor venue of Fira cannot be used due to the celebration of Municipalia.
Thus, shortly after 1:00 p.m., several people arrived with two vans at the Segre canalization and began to distribute bottles of water among the attendees to make the midday heat more bearable, since the majority of Muslims have had to locate their rugs on the sunny part of the path, while the rest have been able to place them in the shaded space under the bridge.
Abdellatif Laatabi was satisfied that the Paeria had allowed them to pray this Friday and the next in this part of the municipality. "We prayed here a few days ago and we saw that the space is safe for everyone to fit in. It is a place where we do not bother the neighbors. We are happy," he stated.
The community does not have specific equipment in the city to do Friday prayers, which can bring together more than 1,000 faithful.
In this sense, the Paeria de Lleida is working to open a public competition to offer land to the city at the disposal of worship.
Laatabi explained that next week they hope to find out the location of this plot and plan to enter the competition. "We will know next week, we will study the place and we will introduce ourselves. If it is our turn, if not, we will continue working," he concluded.
