ABSTRACT

From the beginning of the 1990s, at a time when the Greek economy had begun to prosper and the prospect of greater European integration were looming, thousands of Muslim immigrants started to settle in Athens. This was a time of great optimism marked by the beginning of a Greco-Turkish rapprochement, the rise of the stock market and the vision of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games that would prove to the world the country's democratic stability, cultural achievements and infrastructural advancement. It was in this context that successive Greek governments tried to respond to allegations made by various non-governmental organizations, the United States Government, the European Union and the international press regarding the status of religious freedom in the country. The chapter examines the politics of the official church regarding the mosque debate through my encounters with Kostis in order to show that its position was less rigid than popularly believed.