According to local media, including TV2 Østjylland, authorities in the Danish city of Aarhus have decided to take legal action against those in charge of the Al-Furqan Mosque in the Tilst district, known as Al-Furqan-moskeen i Tilst, for using a building illegally as a place of worship, even though its official license is limited to being a hair salon, pizza and barbecue restaurant, according to the source.
Two religious and women's associations behind the management of the mosque, the Al-Furqan Dawah Center and the Kvindelig Kultur Forening Women's Cultural Association, face the possibility of being subject to mandatory monthly fines of up to 5,000 Danish kroner for violating an order issued by the Aarhus municipality regarding the use of the building.
According to the Aarhus municipality, citing the source, a complaint was filed against the two associations last February, after they ignored official directives regarding the use of the building located in the Langkærparken neighborhood of Tilst, where the property continued to be used as a mosque despite not having obtained any official license allowing its use as a place for meetings or religious activities, according to the source.
East Jutland Police (Østjyllands Politi) conducted an investigation last spring, which resulted in formal charges being filed against the two associations. The indictment states that the “Women’s Cultural Association” carried out what were described as “substantial structural alterations” within the building without obtaining a building permit, while the “Al-Furqan Da’wah Center” used the site for activities related to religious associations and gatherings without authorization.
The source also mentioned that among the prominent figures associated with this mosque is the well-known imam Abu Bilal, describing him as a controversial figure who previously held a leadership position in the Grimhøj mosque in the Brabrand district of Aarhus, and who gained national fame in Denmark due to his hardline views, according to the source.
The official Facebook page of “Al-Furqan Danmark” indicates that the center consists of “a group of young Muslim brothers of different nationalities, united by their faith in God and the religion of Islam, and aiming to spread knowledge and call to this beautiful religion.”.
No official statements have yet been issued by the “Women’s Cultural Association”, the “Al-Furqan Center for Da’wah”, or the East Jutland Police regarding the case, despite attempts by the media to obtain a comment from them, according to what was reported on the TV2 Østjylland website.
