Rimini, August 4, 2026 – “Starting today the Al Tawhid Islamic Cultural Center on Corso Giovanni XXIII will remain closed.” These are the first words of the letter with which the center’s owners announce the closure of a place that every Friday used to attract and host hundreds of people for prayer, and over the years, during Ramadan, long lines of people were seen along the street waiting to enter the limited space of the center. The mosque in Borgo Marna, which has become a landmark for many Rimini residents, has been debated for years, not without controversy.
The decision of the Al Tawhid Center representatives
Today the representatives of the Al Tawhid center draw a clear line. “Our decision comes from the deep love and respect we have for the city and the citizens of Rimini. Rimini is the city we have lived in for years, where we work, where our children and grandchildren go to school. We are aware that the use of the center, over time, has progressively deviated from the original intentions which saw it simply as a space for religious reflection, dialogue, cultural exchange, relationship, and friendship dedicated to the members of the Bengali community in Rimini.”
The center had become a destination for a large number of worshippers
In fact, the center had become a destination for a large number of worshippers belonging to various communities. “Gradually the initial spirit changed, many other people arrived, and management, especially on certain days of the week, became more difficult. This created discomfort and coexistence problems with the city and the residents of this wonderful part of Rimini. We know well that a political debate also arose, often heated and divisive. It was not our intention for all this to happen: our only desire is to live and work in peace in Rimini, the city where we want our children to grow up and have a job in the future.”
“We have reflected at length and decided to suspend activities”
The decision to close came after long reflection, they explain. A period that also saw a confrontation with the municipal administration. “We have reflected at length, we have confronted the institutions and Mayor Sadegholvaad during this process, and we have chosen to suspend activities from today and take all the necessary time to reorganize the Al Tawhid Islamic Cultural Center.”
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What will happen now? “Patience will be needed”
“Patience will be needed, time will be needed but we will use that patience and time to improve every aspect to make the relationship between the Center, the Bengali families who attend it, and the city of Rimini more harmonious. We are convinced that this decision, not easy for our community, will bring only positive things for the future: we too reject chaos, overcrowding, the controversies, the mistrust that have often arisen around that space. And we are sure that this choice will allow a new start in which the activities of the Al Tawhid Islamic Cultural Center can integrate in a higher and more harmonious way with the life of the entire city of Rimini.”
New location to be identified as a place of prayer
Now the focus shifts to identifying a new location as a place of prayer. “In the horizon of our community we still consider it important to identify in the future a place of prayer for Islam, which, following what the Italian Constitution prescribes about freedom of worship, strictly respects the laws, norms, and rules of Italian law. But this prospect can become concrete only through a path and a relationship, always to be traveled together with the city and its Institutions.”
