The largest Muslim community in Lleida, Ibn Hazm, has acquired a location at number 9 Alicante Avenue in the Cappont neighborhood to enable it as an oratory.
The spokesperson for the group, Abdellatif Láatabi, explained that the space has a capacity of 200 people and that they will use it every day of the week except Fridays, when they do mass prayer in one of the Fira Lleida covers. Láatabi has said that they will also propose to the Paeria the free transfer of the land that is being tendered in the Els Frares industrial estate to make a worship center.
In this sense, the mayor, Fèlix Larrosa, has indicated that they will study the allegations presented to the bidding project and that he has "no problem" in reviewing its conditions.
Larrosa explained that the Paeria de Lleida government team has already spoken with the neighborhood representatives of the Cappont neighborhood to explain to them that this location on Alicante Avenue will have new uses. Likewise, the mayor has warned that the council will not allow "situations that violate current regulations" in relation to the maximum permitted capacity.
In this regard, the spokesperson for the Muslim community, Abdellatif Láatabi, explained that they intend to renovate the space to turn it into an oratory that they will use every day of the week respecting the maximum number of people allowed, which is 200. "The only day that we could exceed the capacity of the premises is on Friday and then we go to the Fira shed," he said.
Regarding the land that the Paeria de Lleida is putting out to tender in the Frailes industrial estate to build a worship center, Larrosa has defended that the intention of the government team is to help the religious communities of the city that want to have a large space for worship.
He has indicated that the allegations and conditions that the interested groups, such as Muslims, have presented in the tender will be studied. "They have told us that we should give them the plot for free because they are spaces that do not generate economic activity and, therefore, it could be a consideration," said the mayor.
"If our legal services support their arguments, I have no problem reviewing the conditions of the bid," he added.
