BIGGEST MOSQUE IN BALKANS OPENED IN SARAJEVO

SARAJEVO, Sept 15 (Hina) - Saudi Arabia's Prince Selman bin Abdul- Aziz opened the mosque 'King Fahd', which is believed to be the biggest Islamic religious building in the Balkans, in Sarajevo on Friday. The mosque, whose construction was financed by the Saudi Arabian high relief committee for Bosnia-Herzegovina, is located in the Sarajevo suburb of Alipasino Polje, and spreads over an area of more than 8,000 square metres. The complex includes an Islamic cultural centre and the mosque itself can accommodate about 3,000 believers. Prince Selman said at today's opening ceremony that more than one billion German marks had been collected over the past eight years in Saudi Arabia for Bosnia-Herzegovina at the personal request of King Fahd. I am happy today because the hope of many Muslims for peace to come to this region and for people to start returning to their homes has become a reality, the Saudi Prince and Governor of Riyadh said. The construction of the mosque and Islamic centre in Sarajevo has cost more than DM20 million and the entire complex has been equipped very luxuriously. The high relief committee for Bosnia-Herzegovina has also financed the construction of mosques in Tuzla and Mostar and of an Islamic academy in Bihac. The Committee's representatives claim the largest part of the relief has been directed into the reconstruction of housing facilities and infrastructure in the country. The Prime Minister of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Edhem Bicakcic, said mosques had been among the first targets of the aggressor in Bosnia-Herzegovina and that was why their reconstruction in the entire country was necessary. (hina) rml