The sheikh’s voice, amplified through a distorted megaphone perched just outside the mosque, booms and echoes off the neighborhood’s worn buildings and throughout its narrow alleyways.
It’s a bit too loud, according to the Egyptian government, especially considering that the other estimated 4,000 mosques in Cairo all perform the same adhan at slightly varying times with different voices.
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This is an informative article about the difficulty of making change in ancient process. It includes many quotes and is well written. Just like in the USA the issue involves lack of staying on task and too many set ideas. Sound familiar?
an interesting dilemma apparently common to large middle eastern cities of many mosques. it seems as if controlling the noise is the primary issue, although no one interviewed makes clear how unifying the voice and not simply the volume contributes to that issue. the comparison here to the new york muslim community center issue seems forced, primarily because a gov't -mosque issue in cairo involves disagreement among those of the muslim community itself.
It's fine to go ahead and talk about this issue. I can see where the people would feel distressed by the government decision. However, it is nothing at all like the controversy over building the Mosque, actually expanding the mosque into a center for a variety of activities, including a restaurant, a gym and other facilities. This is an example of the government interfering in the details of people's lives. The problem in New York is related to racism and general anti-Muslim sentiment that are continually inflamed in the the US by the press. The new law in Cairo affects practitioners of the main religion, and is undermining the capacity of the population at large to express certain traditions in their own way. The ... More »
I do want to say that the sound of the muezzin coming from all the mosques, when you listen from a central point, is kind of wonderful. At the same time, if you live directly across the street from a Mosque, the muezzin is painfully loud. I don't know the answer, but it seems like the Egyptian government has been overly heavy handed in their response.
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