From now on, in Cologne, one of the most important centers of the Catholic religion in Germany, Islamic muezzins have been allowed to sing calls to prayer, according to a statement from the city's mayor.
Cologne is most famous for its Catholic cathedral, the world heritage religious center with its 157-meter tower is the second tallest church in Germany and the third in the world.
However, according to Bild, also the singing of the Islamic muezzins calling to prayer will become one of the characteristics of the city , after the muezzins' song was allowed to be heard from the speakers of all 35 mosques in the city on Fridays between 12:00 and 15:00:
"There is no god but Allah!"
The mayor of Cologne, Henriette Reker, celebrated the "model project" on Twitter as a "sign of respect". As he wrote, although "the cathedral greets and the church bells accompany" the guests arriving in the city, as a "cosmopolitan city" Cologne now also wants to protect the "legitimate religious interests" of Muslims.
"Anyone who doubts this is questioning Cologne's identity and our peaceful coexistence, " the city manager reprimanded critics of the measure in advance.
However, experts warn, because according to them, the measure is not only about "religious freedom" and "diversity". According to integration expert Ahmad Mansour, mosque operators "celebrate the muezzin as a demonstration of their power over their neighborhood .
The measure is also opposed by the CSU, Deputy General Secretary Florian Hahn told Bild:
"We absolutely do not want such model experiments in Bavaria. These are not part of our Western traditions. The call to prayer is not necessary for the practice of Islam.”
According to critics, the singing of the muezzin calling to prayer cannot be compared to the ringing of bells in Christian churches, since the muezzin proclaims religious slogans ( "Allahu Akbar", i.e. "Allah is the most powerful" ), while the bells only silently call to prayer.
Source: hirado.hu
Cover photo: AP Photo/Martin Meissner
