Contest to find most beautiful Minaret in Europe COJEP International, IMCOSE and the British Council are launching a contest to select the most beautiful existing Minaret in Europe through a photographic competition.
Mosques, with or without their minarets have been a permanent addition in the aesthetics of our urban landscapes. They are a reflection of the presence of the Muslim communities in our cities and in the company of other faiths and beliefs, convey a message of common living, peace and respect. It is however unfortunate, that lately some populist politicians and a section of media has made minarets an issue to curtail fundamental rights. This has resulted in attacks on ethnic and religious minorities and spreading of hate crimes against Muslim people in Europe. It is therefore important that the universal peaceful presence of Islam is visible and its followers are able to practice their religion openly as is the case with other religions. This photo contest is also intended to remove the misplaced fears and prejudices in European societies that Islam and Muslims undermine the Western values and cultures. To participate, the mosques administrators in Europe must send photographs, highlighting their minaret as well as details on the specifications (height from the ground, width, date of construction, construction period, name of architect, etc.) before 15th April 2010. The collected photos will be initially reviewed by a jury to determine if these meet the selection criteria. The Jury is multi-faith, multi-ethnic and include people with diverse backgrounds. Its task would be to determine the winners at a special meeting in Strasbourg on 19th April 2010. The winners will be presented at a press conference to be held at the European Parliament on 20th April 2010. An exhibition of the most beautiful pictures of minarets and mosques will be held at the Council of Europe later this year. A photo of the building receiving the first prize will be published on the website of the European Heritage Days during its major event which will be held in Istanbul in autumn 2010. The overall winner will receive an award at a ceremony to be held in the city where the minaret was built with the presence of city officials, leaders of the mosque and members of the jury. An album containing photographs will be published at the end of the contest. Please send your photos before the 15th April 2010 by email to; [email protected] Cojep International 18 rue du Chemin de Fer F-67200 STRASBOURG Tél : +333 88 84 49 30 Fax : +333 88 34 75 94 www.cojep.com - [email protected] Mariana NITELEA Director Information Office of the Council of Europe 6, Alexandru Donici Street, Bucharest 2, 020478 Romania tel: 4021 211 6810, fax: 4021 211 9997 Internet: www.coe.ro P Be environmentally friendly: do not print this email unless it is entirely necessary
