The Northern Netherlands court needs more time to pronounce a verdict in the lawsuit over the As-Sunnah Mosque in Assen. This is now the third time that the court has postponed the ruling by six weeks, much to the frustration of the mosque board.
The pronouncement of the verdict is once again taking longer than usual due to large crowds at the court. The case is also complex, says a spokesperson for the court, which means that more time is needed so far.
The lawsuit revolves around a conflict between the board of the mosque and contractor HTO and concerns the construction of a new house of worship at the Mr. Groen van Prinstrerlaan. The parties do not agree with each other about the way in which the mosque has been built so far. The mosque board then went to court and construction has come to a standstill.
As long as the new prayer house is not ready, visitors to the As-Soennah Mosque will use an office building on the De Lauwers business park as a temporary mosque. They have a roof over their heads, but according to mosque chairman Mohamed el Mourabit, the building is actually not suitable for large groups of people.
“We do not have proper washing facilities, it is cramped, there is not enough room for all the shoes and we are spread over two floors. We have to pay the rent of almost 5,000 euros per month from donations from the community,” says El Mourabit, who emphasizes that they are happy that they can use the office building.
The mosque chairman is disappointed that nothing is happening around the new mosque until the ruling. A layer of green deposits is now visible on parts of the minaret and the area is overgrown with weeds. There are still construction fences around the house of worship.
El Mourabit hopes that the court will reach a decision quickly so that work on the mosque can continue. “We understand that the court is busy, but we would very much appreciate it if it also sees the social importance of it. With a ruling we can continue with the completion of the mosque.”
Contractor HTO has been asked to respond to the postponement of the verdict. Director Edwin Flokstra says he does not want to respond until a decision has been made.