Saudi offer for Delhi mosque

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Saudi offer for Delhi mosque

NEW DELHI, Jan 4: Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah, who plans to visit India this month, has offered to renovate country’s largest mosque, India’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

“We are examining this offer with the authorities concerned,” foreign ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna told a news briefing in response to a question about a newspaper report detailing about the proposal.

The Indian spokesman did not elaborate.

The Times of India newspaper said the offer had rattled India’s security agencies which feared an influx of Saudi money could be used for the “promotion of sectarianism” in the mainly Hindu but officially secular country.

The sprawling Jama Masjid in the Indian capital’s teeming old quarter was built in 1656 by Emperor Shahjahan and is in need of repair.

In addition to repairing the mosque, which can hold 20,000 worshippers, the Saudis also wish to provide funds for education, the newspaper said.

The paper did not specify whether the money would be earmarked for Muslim schools or to fund education in general. India’s Muslim population totals 130 million people, according to the 2001 census. The Saudi embassy would not comment on the newspaper report.

While uneasy over the offer, the newspaper said the government was keen not to cause offence to the king who will be the chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations on Jan 17.

At the same time, the report said the government would much prefer the visit — the first by a Saudi monarch in 51 years to India — was “kept to the secular and economic levels”.

The paper said the offer to repair the mosque came from the Saudi king, whose emissary contacted the institution’s chief cleric, Syed Ahmed Bukhari.

It said Syed Bukhari confirmed the offer and had asked the Saudis to approach the government. Syed Bukhari also was not immediately available for comment.—AFP
http://www.dawn.com.pk/2006/text/top14.htm