Turkish Moslems who occupied the abandoned former Ashkenazic synagogue in The Hague last week have demanded that the municipal authorities turn it over to them permanently for use as a mosque. The Jewish community left the 150-year-old Oriental style structure several years ago for smaller, modern quarters in a new residential area. It was sold to The Hague municipality recently with the stipulation that it could not be converted into a Christian church.
Conversion to a mosque was not covered in the sales contract. The Turkish Moslems who seized the empty building last Friday said they wanted to use it for worship during the Moslem holy month of Ramadan because their own mosque was a fire trap. It did, in fact, burn down a day later under suspicious circumstances. The Moslems are now demanding an immediate decision by the municipal authorities on their claim to permanent possession of the building.
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