There is an uproar in Cologne. Independent Mayor Henriette Reeker, 64, who was seriously injured in the 2015 attack from a far-right background, gave the go-ahead. Every Friday they can now call the call to prayer over loudspeakers for five minutes. The pilot project, which includes 35 Muslim communities, is limited to two years.
Many of Cologne’s 120,000 Muslims cheer. “I consider it a gesture of acceptance and tolerance,” says Ahmet Erdogan, head of one of the communities. However, opponents describe the decision as a display of power by Muslims.
Also possible in Switzerland
Muslims in Switzerland have ample opportunities to agree to the general call to prayer. Andreas Stukely (38), Professor of State and Constitutional Law at the University of Freiburg: “Such an act is protected by religious freedom.” However, there may be restrictions in the area of noise protection, such as those imposed on church bells.
Even if the call to prayer is directed at men and only allows Islam as the only true religion, the state must be very careful about the content. Stukely: “The state is obligated to treat all religions equally.”
Despite the ban on building minarets, Muslims can also perform prayer in Switzerland. “The call to prayer has nothing to do with the minaret,” says Pascal Gamberly, 43, a press spokesman for the Federation of University Islamic Organizations in Switzerland. Why they don’t “We don’t want to create tension,” says Gamberley. The call to prayer still takes place, but simply in the mosque itself.
Islam expert angered the decision
Well-known Islamic expert Nicla Kilic (63)* is highly critical of the Cologne decision. In an interview with Blick, she revealed why.
Mrs. Kilic, what do you think about the fact that the muezzin in Cologne can make the call to prayer?
bruising Kilic: Do not understand the decision. It is going in the wrong direction, namely in the direction of mosque associations, from which we secularists have been expecting reforms for years.
Independent Mayor Rieker talks about a “sign of respect”.
One-sided tag. She did not make sure that her counterpart, with whom she had a contract, was equally respectful and tolerant in an open society. He insisted that these mosque associations are closed societies and build a parallel world.
This is what the muezzin calls
The call to prayer in Arabic reminds Muslims of the obligatory daily prayer. In Muslim countries, the muezzin himself ascends to the minaret, but in many places the call spreads through loudspeakers.
Content: “God is greater than all. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah. I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of God. to pray. to success. Prayer is better than sleep. No God except Allah “.
The call to prayer in Arabic reminds Muslims of the obligatory daily prayer. In Muslim countries, the muezzin himself ascends to the minaret, but in many places the call spreads through loudspeakers.
Content: “God is greater than all. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah. I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of God. to pray. to success. Prayer is better than sleep. No God except Allah “.
On what do you base your claim?
I’ve been dealing with this topic for years. I note that the traditional attitude towards the world and man has not changed.
What do you criticize in the call to prayer?
It is called “God is great, God is great, Muhammad is the Messenger of God.” This can also be interpreted as saying that God is the only true God and Islam is the only true religion and that other religions are not recognized. Unfortunately, the same words are now used by terrorists such as Boko Haram, ISIS or the Taliban after the attacks. In addition, the message is intended for men only. I cannot understand why the mayor, as a woman, supports this patriarchal world.
Is the same text called in Germany as in Islamic countries?
I don’t know of any modification to this text.
You say no to the muezzin, but Christians ring the bells too. What’s the difference here?
And the bells call to prayer playfully and without words, an occasion to tell the time. There will certainly be discussions as well as to whether the priest calls “Our Father” to serve from the church tower.
How do Muslims call to prayer?
I would like to ask the associations and unions of worshipers and worshipers to refrain from the opportunity available to them and to refrain from calling the call to prayer on their own. No other religion in this diverse city traditionally stipulates the call to prayer. So why only Sunnis and Shiites, he is rude with others.
The Central Mosque in Cologne was personally opened in 2018 by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. How big is its impact?
The Cologne Central Mosque is the religious embassy of the Turkish government in Germany. It is funded with money from Turkey, imams are Turkish officials, and Friday sermons in Ankara are written by the Turkish religious authority Diyanet.
In 2009, Switzerland was criticized around the world because voters banned the construction of minarets. In your opinion, was this the right decision?
This community is being asked about something absolutely new and it’s dealing with who screams what here – I’d also like to do this kind of population survey here in Germany. The mayor should have discussed the matter in broad circles of the city and held a vote. There should be discussion among Muslims about how to make their religion compatible with democracy.
* Turkish-born sociologist, women’s rights activist and propagandist Nekla Kilic (63) is one of Germany’s most prominent Islamic voices. As a human rights activist, she is primarily critical of the authoritarian image of women in traditional Islam. She has received several awards, including the Geschwister Scholl Prize and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation’s Freedom Prize.
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