Politics · Japan · 5 hrs ago
Ichikawa mayor admits giving wrong reason for denying mosque prayers in park
In Ichikawa, a city in Chiba Prefecture east of Tokyo, the mayor admitted he gave an incorrect explanation for denying a mosque permission to hold group prayers in a municipal park.
The Gyotoku mosque had held prayers there before, but in May the city said it could not be sure the event would not interfere with public use of the park.
Mayor Koh Tanaka said a former neighbor had moved because living beside the mosque was emotionally difficult.
The former resident said he sold his house to the mosque five years ago because it was old and too large to manage, and that he had wanted to sell it.
The mayor said he had confused the property with another one after hearing information from a real estate agent.
The case matters because Tanaka had cited local residents' feelings when explaining the decision, which the city said was based on concerns about park use.
Ichikawa Mayor Koh Tanaka acknowledged that he gave an incorrect explanation for the city’s decision to deny a mosque permission to hold group prayers in a municipal park.
Tanaka had said a former neighbor of the mosque moved because living next to it had become emotionally unbearable.
The former resident told the Mainichi Shimbun that he sold his house because it was aging and too large to manage.
The city denied the Gyotoku mosque’s request in May, saying it could not be certain the event would not interfere with public use of the park.
- Who
- Ichikawa Mayor Koh Tanaka and the Gyotoku mosque congregation.
- What
- The city denied the mosque permission to hold group prayers in a municipal park, and Tanaka admitted that one explanation he gave was incorrect.
- When
- The city refused permission in May; Tanaka acknowledged his error in an email on Oct. 6.
- Where
- Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, Japan.
- Why
- The city said it could not be certain the prayers would not interfere with public use of the park.
Ichikawa city government
Gyotoku mosque congregation
Permission
Ichikawa city government
The city denied permission, saying it could not be certain the event would not interfere with public use of the park.
Gyotoku mosque congregation
The congregation sought permission to hold group prayers in the park for an Islamic holiday.
Ichikawa refused the Gyotoku mosque permission to hold group prayers in a municipal park for an Islamic holiday.
Tanaka said a former neighbor had found it emotionally difficult to live next to the mosque and cited this in explaining his view.
Tanaka again referred to the former resident moving and said he had made his judgment based on how residents felt about prayers in the park.
Tanaka told the Mainichi by email that he had checked the information again.
- Mayor
- Koh Tanaka
- Mosque
- Gyotoku mosque
- City
- Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture
- Decision
- Permission for group prayers in a municipal park was denied in May
- Former resident
- Sold the house to the mosque five years ago
- Incorrect claim
- Tanaka said the former resident left because living next to the mosque was emotionally difficult
What people are saying
In order to build a balanced multicultural society, we must not create a situation in which people are seen praying in the park.
It was exactly what I had hoped for.
I feel they deviate from the facts.
Sources
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