Japan could force demolition of ‘illegal’ mosque inaugurated by Pakistan’s ambassador
A mosque that officials say was illegally constructed in the northwest of Tokyo and approved for demolition has sparked scrutiny after it became operational following its inauguration by Pakistan’s ambassador to Japan. The “Ramadan Grand Mosque” was built on a 4,500sqm-plot in a rural area of Kawagoe in Saitama Prefecture classified as mountain forest in an urbanisation control zone. Pictures of the mosque show a large white dome-shaped structure standing amidst a vast green field in a rural area. Kawagoe mayor Hatsue Morita said this week that the city “cannot tolerate the current situation” and is working to resolve the matter as quickly as possible. “It is an illegal building constructed without permission in an urban development control area, and we are working under the policy that we cannot tolerate the current situation,” she said, according to Sankei News. “We want this building to be demolished as soon as possible and we are considering how to guide them,” she said. The case has become one of the most contentious planning disputes involving a mosque in …
