VENICE MUSLIM COMMUNITY

2013 to 2017 Venice, Italy

 

According to the statistical service of the municipality of Venice, in 2017 the foreigners residing in Venice were about 35.000; where the biggest group comes from Bangladesh with over 5.300 people. The majority of Bangladeshi are Muslim and together they managed to rent an old industrial hangar and converted it into a place where to pray. 

During the Ramadan, which usually takes place in summer, they often reunite in a public park to pray, due to the extremely hot weather. 

What it is astonishing is that the Islamic Centre of Venice welcomes people from all over the world, all united by the same fate. Religious celebrations are often held in Italian, Bengali, Arabic and English language. All together kneeling down and praying for their God, there are people from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Turkey, Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Gambia, Guinea, Lebanon, Syria, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq. 

It seems like a dream place, but it a reality.