Dawn's Early Light & Sound
One daily experience that every expat has to adjust to is mosque loudspeakers and the amplified prayer calls. It's one thing to hear it during the day, but when it's 4:30 in the morning, you wake up. Depending on your orientation, you are either happy or irritated. At least that's what I did at first. Every new place I visit, if I hear the early morning call, I wake up.
I had some friends who lived directly across the street from a mosque, in fact the loudspeaker was directed into their windows (they lived on the 3rd floor). Every night, they would be awakened by a vocal blast. Poor people. I guess they got used to it. It's a wonder they lived there for a good time.
In the article below, it says that over 90% of Moroccans favor amplified mosque calls, but less than 1/4 actually say their prayers then. Not surprising. Most people talk religious, but then don't practice it.
Moroccan minister rebuffs criticism about prayer call
RABAT (AFP) - Morocco's social affairs minister reacted sharply to reports Saturday that her remarks about the loudness of the dawn call to prayer meant she wanted to ban it altogether.
"This hateful campaign is led by people who are irritated by my fight for women's rights," said Social Development, Family and Solidarity Minister Nouzha Skalli, a known feminist and a member of the leftist Party for Progress and Socialism. "They are spreading a false rumour to attack me by suggesting I want to ban the al-fajr (dawn) Scall to prayer," Skalli told AFP.
According to a Saturday report in Al-Bayane, which is owned by Skalli's party, at least two Moroccan imams have sharply criticized the 58-year-old minister for her prayer remarks at a cabinet meeting last month -- with one suggesting she "would be paralysed" for them.
Several Islamic websites have also reacted with anger.
During the March meeting, Skalli raised the question of the decibel level and length of the dawn call sounding from loudspeakers in a debate on legislation regarding the building of mosques.
Two years ago, a decree by Moroccan theologians stipulated loudspeakers' sound levels must be kept low, especially in mosques situated near hospitals and neighbourhoods inhabited by non-Muslims.
According to a recent study, 91 percent of Moroccans favour using loudspeakers for the dawn call, but only a quarter of those surveyed actually pray at the requisite time.
Copyright © 2008 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2008 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.
I had some friends who lived directly across the street from a mosque, in fact the loudspeaker was directed into their windows (they lived on the 3rd floor). Every night, they would be awakened by a vocal blast. Poor people. I guess they got used to it. It's a wonder they lived there for a good time.
In the article below, it says that over 90% of Moroccans favor amplified mosque calls, but less than 1/4 actually say their prayers then. Not surprising. Most people talk religious, but then don't practice it.
Moroccan minister rebuffs criticism about prayer call
RABAT (AFP) - Morocco's social affairs minister reacted sharply to reports Saturday that her remarks about the loudness of the dawn call to prayer meant she wanted to ban it altogether.
"This hateful campaign is led by people who are irritated by my fight for women's rights," said Social Development, Family and Solidarity Minister Nouzha Skalli, a known feminist and a member of the leftist Party for Progress and Socialism. "They are spreading a false rumour to attack me by suggesting I want to ban the al-fajr (dawn) Scall to prayer," Skalli told AFP.
According to a Saturday report in Al-Bayane, which is owned by Skalli's party, at least two Moroccan imams have sharply criticized the 58-year-old minister for her prayer remarks at a cabinet meeting last month -- with one suggesting she "would be paralysed" for them.
Several Islamic websites have also reacted with anger.
During the March meeting, Skalli raised the question of the decibel level and length of the dawn call sounding from loudspeakers in a debate on legislation regarding the building of mosques.
Two years ago, a decree by Moroccan theologians stipulated loudspeakers' sound levels must be kept low, especially in mosques situated near hospitals and neighbourhoods inhabited by non-Muslims.
According to a recent study, 91 percent of Moroccans favour using loudspeakers for the dawn call, but only a quarter of those surveyed actually pray at the requisite time.
Copyright © 2008 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2008 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.
posted by Carl | 5:29 PM
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