2/1/2005 3:00:00 PM GMT

Source: news.inq7.net

An air-conditioned prayer room is now open for Muslims in the Philippines at the Greenhills Shopping Center in San Juan.

The building of the prayer room is located in front of the OB Montessori School and the Club Filipino. It met tough opposition from some residents, but the Ortigas & Company, owner of the shopping center, decided to go ahead with the project.

The prayer room was opened at the Muslims feast of Eid Al Adha. The room can accommodate about 300 people and only opens during Muslims prayer hours and closes after mall hours.

Before the room was built, Muslim traders inside the mall used to pray in a dark and smelly alleyway in Virra Mall. Some traders prayed inside their stores, with only curtains to provide them privacy.

Rex Dimacuta, secretary general of the Muslim traders association in Greenhills, said that the new musallah or prayer room is like a hotel".

"We are very thankful (and) we intend to maintain it really well." He added.

The project was also praised by Catholics and Protestants and other Filipino activists as an example of religious tolerance.

Joey Santos, the manager of the mall, said that they never considered canceling the project as they were not breaching any law.

"We are very proud of our Muslim traders... They have been very good contributors to the success of Greenhills," he said.

Despite the stiff opposition, the prayer room opened without any confrontation with protestors. Francisco Joaquin, a resident who backs the project, said that it seemed those opposed had accepted that there was nothing they could do about it.

However, the Greenhills Association of San Juan sent a complaint to Mayor Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito, claiming that "historical experience" showed that mosques in non-Muslim areas led to instability and affected the peace of the residents.

But Ejercito hailed the project, describing it as a "noble" gesture.