The Mufti of Shkodra has stopped the works being carried out by the Municipality of Shkodra near the Parrucë Mosque, stating that the project was being carried out on a waqf plot, i.e. on property belonging to the institutions of the Muslim community. In its public announcement, the Mufti emphasizes that this is a religious territory and that any intervention in it without the approval of the institution constitutes a violation of property rights and religious autonomy.
The incident follows tensions the day before, when municipal police officers intervened to remove a sign with prophetic sayings placed by the Mufti's office near the Abu Bakr Mosque. The action caused strong reactions in the city's Muslim community and public opinion, being described by the Mufti's office as an unjustified and provocative act.
According to the Mufti's office, the territory where the works were being carried out is a waqf property and, in this context, it seeks to protect its rights as the legitimate administrator of religious properties. On the other hand, the Municipality appears to have intervened in the area through an urban project without public consultation and without the agreement of the religious institution, according to the claims made public.
After this clash, the Mufti has announced that it is stopping the continuation of works on the land it considers a waqf and that it will not allow any intervention until the legal aspects of ownership are clarified. So far, the Municipality of Shkodra has not yet given an official reaction to this issue.
