Prominent mosque in Germany sounds 1st public call to prayer

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Prominent mosque in Germany sounds 1st public call to prayer

By MARTIN MEISSNER and GEIR MOULSON
October 14, 2022

COLOGNE, Germany (AP) — The Islamic call to prayer was sounded in public for the first time from one of Germany’s biggest mosques on Friday, but at limited volume, as part of a project agreed with authorities in Cologne, which has one of the country’s largest Muslim communities.

Authorities in Germany’s fourth-biggest city last year cleared the way for mosques to apply for permission for the muezzin to call for a maximum five minutes between noon and 3 p.m. on Fridays, with a noise limit being set for each mosque according to its location.

The call to prayer wasn’t a first for Germany but did bring it to a particularly prominent mosque. The Central Mosque, a modern building with two tall minarets, is located on a busy road just west of downtown Cologne. Run by the Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs, or DITIB, it was inaugurated by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2018.

Until now, the call to prayer was heard only inside the building. Early Friday afternoon, it was broadcast through two loudspeakers, though authorities stipulated that it should be limited to 60 decibels for nearby residents.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/religion-germany-prayer-cologne-39bfe41c5b74b66e1c6568f2fc7c4bae


Muezzin Mustafa Kader recites the call to prayer at the Cologne Central Mosque in Cologne, Germany, Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. The Islamic call to prayer is set to sound for the first time from one of Germany’s biggest mosques in Cologne on Friday — but at limited volume. It is part of a project agreed with authorities in the city that has one of the country’s biggest Muslim communities. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

[marble falls]

1. One of the things I really want hear in some where like Cairo before I pass on. This is good ...

... I miss church bells, too.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

2. Beautiful building! Beautiful acceptance.

[RainCaster]

3. That was my reaction, too.

I'm so glad there are people in Europe willing to accept Muslims as they are.

BTW, I love that building's modern take on classic Muslim architecture.

[msongs]

4. religionists oughta keep their religion to themselves IMO nt

[EarnestPutz]

5. I was lucky to be able to travel to the Middle East on two different occasions, for.....

.....extended stays, and have an opportunity to experience the call to prayer firsthand. This was something that I thought might be meaningful, moving, somehow emotional, even for a non-religious person like me. It really was. Five times every day, I heard beautiful poetry sung in the public sphere, as things all around me stopped and people took time to consider the bigger things. Even though I didn’t understand the language, I knew and appreciated the message and it’s universal appeal.