Right here we stand before Mevlana Mosk\u00e9. This mosque is one of Denmark’s first. Mevlana Mosk\u00e9 was established in 1980. It has been at its current location since 2000. The mosque is part of the Ish\u00f8j Kulturhus.
Mevlana Mosk\u00e9 includes a caf\u00e9. It also has classrooms. The associated cultural association has about 500 members. Mevlana is the Turkish name. It refers to the Persian poet and mystic Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi.
Mevlana Mosk\u00e9 is part of Dansk Tyrkisk Islamisk Stiftelse. This is the largest Muslim community in Denmark today.
Dansk Tyrkisk Islamisk Stiftelse is also known as Diyanet. It operates over 30 mosques in Denmark. It was established around the same time. Similar institutions appeared in other European countries. The purpose was to spread state-authorized Islam. This was aimed at Turkish migrants in Europe. This was to be done by promoting mosque construction. It also involved posting Turkish-trained imams in European countries. This activity has increased greatly in recent years.
In 1989 there were 10 Turkish imams in Denmark. By 2006 there were 21 imams. In 2019 29 mosques in Denmark had an imam. These imams were sent from Turkey.
There is tight control of the words. These words are preached in the Turkish mosques. According to “Denmark’s mosques,” texts are sent. These are Friday sermon texts. They come from Dansk Tyrkisk Islamisk Stiftelse headquarters in Glostrup. The texts are sent to over 30 mosques around the country.
The speech will often be written by Diyanet in Turkey. This happens if it deals with general religious topics. Imams or headquarters staff in Denmark often handle sermons. These sermons touch on current social problems in a Danish context.
In the Turkish mosque environment the Turkish state’s religious ministry is important. It is called the Directorate of Religious Affairs or Diyanet. It stands for the official state Islam in Turkey. It sends and pays imams in mosques. This includes mosques in Denmark.
In Denmark Dansk Tyrkisk-Islamisk Stiftelse handles these tasks. It operates through its headquarters in Glostrup. Imam replacements are handled from here. They also redistribute the Friday sermon texts.
The chairman of the board is the president. He is the president of the Directorate of Religious Affairs in Turkey. It can also be a person with power of attorney. Other members include the director-general. He is the director-general of Foreign Affairs. He works at the Directorate of Religious Affairs. The official responsible for Social Affairs at the Turkish Embassy in Copenhagen is also a member.
Mevlana Mosk\u00e9 stands as a testament. It highlights the evolving religious landscape in Denmark. It also shows the integration of Turkish culture and Islam in Danish society.