Excerpt:
The Council of State rejected an appeal of 111 residents of Votanikos area in Athens who were against the building of a Muslim mosque. The decision paves the way for the erection of the first Muslim mosque in Athens.
The Votanikos residents, who presented themselves as Greek Orthodox Christian Citizens, had appealed to a decision by the Council that a mosque can be erected at Votanikos with state funding in an abandoned building that belongs to the Greek Navy.
The 111 citizens had asked for the cancellation of the project claiming it was unconstitutional and illegal on the grounds of environment protection and the separation of powers, citing articles 24 and 26 of the Greek Constitution. They also claimed that the building is not consistent with the history and aesthetics of the city.