Two arrested after fight breaks out over praying in former Spanish mosque

Two men were arrested and two guards injured after a fight broke out between police and tourists at a former mosque in Spain.

Published: 12:49AM BST 02 Apr 2010

Trouble broke out when the tourists broke a ban on Muslim prayers at the converted cathedral in Cordoba, according to the local bishop's office.

Six members of a group of 118 Muslim tourists who were visiting the cathedral knelt to pray and were promptly ordered to stop by security guards.

As they refused to stop praying, they were "invited to continue with their visit or leave the cathedral" after they refused to stop praying, the Cordoba's bishop's office said in a statement.

The security guards then called in police, who were attacked by the visiting Muslim tourists, it added. Two policemen were injured and two of the Muslim tourists were detained.

"They provoked in an organised fashion a deplorable episode of violence," the statement said, adding "this was a one time incident that does not represent the genuine Muslim identity as there are many who display attitudes of respect and dialogue with the Catholic Church."

"We deplore the damage done to the image of our city and to the peaceful coexistence of visitors and citizens. We hope and desire that this type of incident will not repeat itself in the future," it added.

The bishop's office did not give the nationality of the two men who were arrested but news radio Cadena Ser said they were Austrian.

Police found a knife on one of the arrested men, it added citing anonymous local police sources.

Bishop Demetrio Fernandez Gonzalez recently reiterated that a ban on Muslim prayers at the former mosque which turned into a Christian cathedral in the 13th century must remain in place despite calls by local Muslims for the rule to be loosened.

From: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/7546487/Two-arrested-after-fight-breaks-out-over-praying-in-former-Spanish-mosque.html