World Bulletin / News Desk

Plans to construct a mosque for Muslims in the Greek capital city of Athens have attracted fierce criticism from the far-right Golden Dawn Party.

Golden Dawn MP Ilias Panayiotaros, who describes the plans as a ‘provocation’, called for the issue to be taken to a national referendum.

Panayiotaros ended his speech quoting Theodoros Kolokotronis, a national hero in from the war of independence against the Ottoman Empire, saying ‘Fire and axe to those who bow down.’

The Infrastructure Minister, Michalis Chrysochoidis, slammed Panayiotaros’s comments as a “nationalist frenzy.”

The construction of the planned mosque was last week granted to a consortium including J&P Avax, Terna, Aktor and Intrakat and is expected to commence early next year.