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Largest Mosque in Europe Inaugurated in Chechen Republic

The Chechen Republic inaugurates Europe's largest mosque. (SPA)
The Chechen Republic inaugurates Europe's largest mosque. (SPA)
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Largest Mosque in Europe Inaugurated in Chechen Republic

The Chechen Republic inaugurates Europe's largest mosque. (SPA)
The Chechen Republic inaugurates Europe's largest mosque. (SPA)

The largest mosque in Europe was inaugurated in the Chechen Republic on Friday during an event that was attended by numerous representatives of heads of Muslim countries and senior scholars.

Chechen President Ramzan Akhmadovich Kadyrov hailed Saudi Arabia for taking part in the ceremony, saying it reflects the keenness of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, on participating in all international religious events.

This stems from the Kingdom’s noble role of serving Islam and Muslims, he added.

He also congratulated Saudi Arabia on its successful organization of the Hajj pilgrimage this year.

The ceremony was attended by Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance Dr. Abdul Latif Al Al-Sheikh, Secretary General of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation, Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen and Muslim World League chief Mahammad al-Issa.

Al-Sheikh said the new mosque will become a landmark in Europe and beacon for spreading the correct moderate teachings of Islam.

Othaimeen hoped that all mosques would always be beacons of moderation and platforms to combat extremism and terrorism.

At Kadyrov’s request, Issa delivered the first ever Friday sermon at the mosque.

Dubbed “the pride of Muslims,” the mosque was built in the Islamic architectural style. It is composed of two floors and can accommodate 20,000 worshippers inside the building and 100,000 in its external yard.

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New Zealanders Save More Than 30 Stranded Whales by Lifting Them on Sheets

Rescuers and volunteers try to save killer whales stranded at the mouth of the Bolshaya Vorovskaya River at the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk, on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia October 2, 2024. Head of the Sobolevsky Municipal District of the Kamchatka Region Andrei Vorovskiy via VK/Handout via REUTERS
Rescuers and volunteers try to save killer whales stranded at the mouth of the Bolshaya Vorovskaya River at the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk, on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia October 2, 2024. Head of the Sobolevsky Municipal District of the Kamchatka Region Andrei Vorovskiy via VK/Handout via REUTERS
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New Zealanders Save More Than 30 Stranded Whales by Lifting Them on Sheets

Rescuers and volunteers try to save killer whales stranded at the mouth of the Bolshaya Vorovskaya River at the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk, on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia October 2, 2024. Head of the Sobolevsky Municipal District of the Kamchatka Region Andrei Vorovskiy via VK/Handout via REUTERS
Rescuers and volunteers try to save killer whales stranded at the mouth of the Bolshaya Vorovskaya River at the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk, on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia October 2, 2024. Head of the Sobolevsky Municipal District of the Kamchatka Region Andrei Vorovskiy via VK/Handout via REUTERS

More than 30 pilot whales that stranded themselves on a beach in New Zealand were safely returned to the ocean after conservation workers and residents helped to refloat them by lifting them on sheets. Four of the pilot whales died, New Zealand’s conservation agency said.
New Zealand is a whale stranding hotspot and pilot whales are especially prolific stranders.
A team was monitoring Ruakākā Beach near the city of Whangārei in New Zealand’s north on Monday to ensure there were no signs of the whales saved Sunday stranding again, the Department of Conservation told The Associated Press. The agency praised as “incredible” the efforts made by hundreds of people to help save the foundering pod.
“It’s amazing to witness the genuine care and compassion people have shown toward these magnificent animals,” Joel Lauterbach, a Department of Conservation spokesperson, said in a statement. “This response demonstrates the deep connection we all share with our marine environment.”
A Māori cultural ceremony for the three adult whales and one calf that died in the stranding took place on Monday. New Zealand’s Indigenous people consider whales a taonga — a sacred treasure — of cultural significance.
New Zealand has recorded more than 5,000 whale strandings since 1840. The largest pilot whale stranding was of an estimated 1,000 whales at the Chatham Islands in 1918, according to the Department of Conservation.
It's often not clear why strandings happen but the island nation's geography is believed to be a factor. Both the North and South Islands feature stretches of protruding coastline with shallow, sloping beaches that can confuse species such as pilot whales — which rely on echolocation to navigate.