Separation of Church and State

[melon]

Mich. City OKs Islamic Calls to Prayer

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.

Your thoughts?

Melon

 

[martha]

That would be annoying five times a day. So would church bells five times a day. So would anything five times a day.

 

[nbcrusader]

The Call to Prayer is essentially equivilent to church bells.

I'm not sure most people even know what this sounds like, but it is not the most soothing thing to wake up to in the morning....


Actually, I'm surprised this hasn't taken place before.

 

[nbcrusader]

Why the title for this thread? This is more of a free exercise issue than an establishment issue.

 

[Angela Harlem]

I guess its looking at how the council has the power to allow this or not.
Maybe?

I dont see it as any different to church bells either. The religious aspect makes no difference to me, but what about noise laws? Does anyone know what Michigan's are?

 

[Dreadsox]

I hear lots of noises in school....especially when they serve chicken nuggets in the cafeteria......ooo that smell.

 

[Liesje]

I live in Michigan and have no idea what the noise laws are (I don't recognize that city name either, but I'm guessing it's on the east side). Personally, as long as a city council approves, I would too. There's train tracks all over this city and trains go through at least five times a day, but you get used to it and block it out. There's also a church in my section of town that plays bells so I guess if some people can have the church bells, they can have their prayer calls. It can't be any more annoying than our tornado siren tests.

 

[joyfulgirl]

I wouldn't want church bells or anything from a loudspeaker piped anywhere near my house 5 times a day. That could make a person (i.e. me) insane. How about the silent call to prayer and the silent church bells? (Silence is Easy)

 

[anitram]

When I lived in different places in Europe, they would ring the church bells on the hour, every hour. It was kind of convenient during the day, because it helped you keep time without a watch. And you really don't hear it, it's a bit like living close to the airport. We have dozens of planes flying overhead every day since we live in the west end of Toronto, but I never even hear them. The only time I remember hearing the planes was a couple of days after 9/11 when they started flying again, and then I noticed that I'd gotten accustomed to the silence.

 

[BAW]

I live on the same street as a very large church and I don't even hear the bells anymore...I also don't hear the train whistles people in my city are up in arms over. I guess the calls to prayer might bug me at first but I'd get used to it

 

[martha]

It can't be any more annoying than our tornado siren tests.

I remember those. They used to scare me half to death when I was a kid.

 

[nbcrusader]

Is there a set standard for when a church rings its bells? Once an hour makes it the equivalent of a Big Ben, simply marking the time.

Many churches in this area do not have bells - I've never heard any recently.

 

[joyfulgirl]

When I lived in different places in Europe, they would ring the church bells on the hour, every hour. It was kind of convenient during the day, because it helped you keep time without a watch. And you really don't hear it, it's a bit like living close to the airport.

I spent 6 months in Europe and the bells drove me nuts.

 

[iacrobat]

I live in Europe and love the church bells.

They are indeed handy for knowing the time. It is also part of the ambience, it wouldn't be the same without them.

 

[nbcrusader]

I wish we had church bells here. All we hear outside is traffic.

 

[martha]

And sirens.

 

[joyfulgirl]

I live in Europe and love the church bells.

They are indeed handy for knowing the time. It is also part of the ambience, it wouldn't be the same without them.

They're beautiful in the distance, but not a few yards outside my hotel window.

 

[BAW]

I know I'd like to ring the bell of the 40 year old jackass who has been riding his kid's mini-bike up and down my street for the last half hour

 

[AcrobatMan]

its the most irritating noise ever...

 

[sue4u2]

While sitting at a red light this week I heard the bells of a local church and thought how soothing, untill the emergency test siren went off at the same time. Throw in some prayer calls and you would have a really weird sound track. (trying to remember how prayer calls sound)

 

[stammer476]

That article is interesting to me. I live on the east side of Michigan (within 30 minutes of Hamtramick). One mosque within 5-10 miles of my house has been blaring the Islamic Call as long as I've lived here (13 years). While it's too far away for me to hear, friends in the area say they hear it everyday. I didn't realize this policy was up for debate. As far as I know, they've been doing it for a long time.