Spanish government aims to control mosques and imans in Spain

In what is considered as quite a controversial move, Spain's socialist government has decided to try to curb extremist messages sent out by moslem religious leaders in mosques. Earlier this week Spain's Foreign Minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos, told reporters: "It is important that we know what is said in the Friday sermon. Mosques have sprung up in Spain in a completely uncontrolled fashion."

Yesterday his opinion became official policy, as after the cabinet meeting the vice-president and government spokeswoman, Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega, that the Government intended to work with moslem communities in Spain to prevent mosques from being used to give violent messages. According to the PSOE spokeswoman, reforms will be made "seeking maximum consensus with groups, respecting religious freedom and the freedom of citizens. According to Cadena Ser, sources from the Spanish judiciary have specified that "the majority of moslem religious services in Spain respect Spanish law, but we have received reports from the Moslem community that some minorities use these ocasions to promote violence. And the Spanish Constitution specifies that religious freedom is determined by public order"