Mich. City OKs Islamic Calls to Prayer

[shirini]

HAMTRAMCK, Mich. - The City Council gave preliminary approval Tuesday night to a mosque's plans to send out a call to prayer to Muslims on a loudspeaker.

The Bangladeshi al-Islah mosque wants to air the Arabic call to prayer via loudspeakers five times a day, but agreed Tuesday not to air the calls before 6 a.m. or after 10 p.m.

The council indicated it would give the plan final approval next week.

Some Muslims say the call is the equivalent of church bells. Opponents argued that church bells have no religious significance and that allowing the Arabic call, which lasts less than two minutes, unfairly elevates Islam above other religions.

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This is a stupid Idea. you have to drive by a church to able to hear the bells, and the calls are being done over a loudspeaker, five times a day! I think these people lack common courtesy for the non-Muslim neighbors, since the first prayer of the day startes before/around dawn! I think there are also taking an advantage of the situation right now, if counsel had said “No”. People would be all upset because they are being “discriminated” against!

Edited April 21, 2004 by shirini