A new playground structure resembling a mini-mosque located in the heavily migrant-populated Berlin suburb of Neukölln has caused an outcry from Germans who say the structure is not appropriate.
The playground, which is located on Walterstrasse, features camels, palm trees, and a domed structure with a crescent moon finial. While the designers claim the structures are a homage to the classic tale, “Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves”, many local residents have been deeply critical, Berliner Zeitung reports.
Spielplatz mit Mini-Moschee sorgt für Unmut #Neukölln https://t.co/sBiUqYUhqJ pic.twitter.com/rTN71E9gdt
— Berliner Zeitung (@berlinerzeitung) November 2, 2017
A 41-year-old local resident and mother slammed the new design saying: “It looks exotic, but children’s playground should not be associated with religion.” The sentiment was shared by a 29-year-old nurse who said that “crosses or crescents” were not appropriate on children’s playgrounds.
While there was criticism from locals, the outrage against the project was much more intense on social media. On Twitter, one German user wrote: “Why should there be a mosque there? Build your fairytale playground, but no Muslim symbols.”
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