A simple place of worship finds itself a charged symbol of the visibility of Islam in European society

摘要

The modem mosque is an elusive entity. Freighted with public suspicion and even hostility, it transcends the domain of architecture and has become a charged symbol of the visibility of Islam in contemporary European society. A simple place of worship now finds itself at the heart of debates about Muslim integration within these societies. Such debates can quickly become polarised, but this book edited by two Dutch Muslim architects provides a thoughtful and nuanced contribution to a complex set of cultural, spiritual and architectural issues.rnPart historical survey, part political analysis, part design primer and part photographic record, it delves intimately and unflinchingly into the nature of the mosque and how it could be made to relate more coherently and imaginatively to changing social, physical and religious contexts.