Distressed villagers fear that the protestant church tower will be filled by loud prayers, according to the Norwegian paper Fædrelandsvennen.

Hallvard Gjerden, missionary signaller, was the first to point out the geographical location of the new church.

“It points directly towards Mecca, on the dot. I have checked,” Gjerden said.

The old church is located east west with the entrance from west. The new church points towards the south east.

“People are afraid Muslims will take over the church and use it as a mosque,” Gjerden said.

However, Tor Mosdøl, head of the building committee for the Bykle church, does not take Gjerden’s proclamations too seriously.

“The church had to have its entrance in northern direction because the lot required it,” Mosdøl stated.

The people of Bykle have not put their fears to rest in spite of Mosdøl’s explanation. The direction of the church has become a major subject in the little town regardless of people’s religious believes.

“They are going to come running into the church with their carpets,” said an anonymous villager to the paper.

Bykle is a small village in the so-called Bible Belt which is located in the south and west of Norway. In this area a number of people follow strict pietistic religious traditions that are not common elsewhere in Norway.