UK Muslims on Oxford StreetThe International News reports that Muslims in the U. K. have petitioned the Oxford Council to allow broadcast calls to prayer from a Mosque.
Source - Youtube - Adhan - Islamic Call to prayer
The two minute calls would be broadcast by loudspeakers three times a day for a two minute duration.
Rezwana Rana, a spokesman for the mosque, said: “We don’t want to tread on anyone’s toes, but the area is very multicultural and we thought it would be an idea to have a call to prayer.”Other cities in England that already allow the 'broadcasts to call for prayers" are Bradford, Blackburn, Manchester, Bolton, Coventry, and Birmingham.
According to Imam Ibrahim Mogra the broadcasts are restricted to "sociable hours" and to a "maximum" decibel level.
According to a May, 2007, article by the AP an Army base in Kansas, Fort Riley, has been broadcasting the "daily call" but for very different reasons.
Back in June of 2006 Fort Riley was tasked with training transition teams that were deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. The troops were to be "immersed" in Islamic culture which included the five times a day broadcasts of Muslim call to prayers.
In April, 2004, the Michigan town of Hamtramck City's town council voted unanimously to allow the 5X a day call to prayers via loudspeakers.
Some residents are opposed to the call to prayer, saying it gives state sponsorship of a religion and it lifts Islam above all other religions in Hamtramck, Local 4 reported.It seems quite amazing that in the days of Christian Bibles and symbols being systemically sued away from the public realm that another religion would be granted the right to broadcast across the city their call to prayers.
"I would say that is a distortion," Hamtramck City Councilwoman Karen Majewski said. "We worked very hard to craft this ordinance in such a way that it would cover all means of religious expression." Source - ClickonDetroit
Whatever happened to wearing a watch? The rest of us time challenged manage to get to important places and events on time or suffer the consequences. Why the need to coddle one group over all others? Nanny state, indeed.
What if other religions decided they needed "extra" help in summoning their flock to prayers?
One could imagine in the not too distant future a Monty Pythonesque scene as church bells, call to prayers, buzzers, flashing lights, etc., all day long, for the hapless non-believers to endure.
By LBG
Image - Jewish Content
Source - The International News - Oxford Muslims want call to prayer
Source - ClickonDetroit - Hamtramck Residents To Hear Prayer Broadcasts
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