COR Version: Muslims in Oxford want to broadcast their call to prayer over loudspeakers three times each day. Other Oxford residents are angry about it.

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Muslim plans to broadcast a loudspeaker call to prayer from a city centre mosque have been attacked by local residents who say it would turn the area into a "Muslim ghetto".

Dozens of people packed out a council meeting to express their concerns over the plans for a two-minute long call to prayer to be issued three times a day, saying that it could drown out the traditional sound of church bells.

But a spokesman for the Central Mosque said that Muslim's also have the right to summon worshippers.

Dr Mark Huckster, who lives in Stanton Road and works at East Oxford hospice Helen House, told the Oxford Mail: "The proposal to issue a prayer call is very un-neighbourly, especially in a crowded urban space such as Oxford.

"I have lived in the Middle East and a prayer call has a very different feel to church bells and I personally found the noise extremely unpleasant, rather disturbing and very alien to the western mindset."

He added: "If an evangelical Christian preacher proposed issuing sermons three times a day at full volume there would be an outcry.

"There could be a sense of ghettoisation of East Oxford. Cowley Road would have a Muslim flavour and could become a Muslim ghetto which is contrary to what we want in a multicultural society."

Dr Huckster was among six residents speaking in opposition to the plans, revealed in the Oxford Mail in November.

Allan Chapman, who lives in East Oxford, said: "We are concerned with civil liberties and civil peace and the right to be able to live in our own space.

"I do not want preaching at. It is not the tradition of this country or the tradition I subscribe to.

"I find this totally, utterly unacceptable and I plan to do whatever I can to stop it."

David Hutcheson, of East Avenue, said: "I'm very happy for people to practice their own religion but very unhappy about the thought of having a loudspeaker broadcasting any messages into my private space."

After the meeting, Sardar Rana, a spokesman for the Central Mosque, said he would be happy to clarify any issues and invited anyone to come to the mosque so he could satisfy their concerns.

He said: "The call is going on in so many places in the UK, and we must get the same right as everybody else.

"When they ring the bells in church, we respect it but that is also a call to prayer.

"We don't want to do anything that will disturb the people or upset the people."

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if you don't like it, you can gert out, imo

quote:

Originally posted by tubularbills if you don't like it, you can gert out, imo

so minorities run the shop is what you are saying?

People are allowed to have a say in their community and you'll always get people complaining about anything that happens.

In this instance I actually have no opinion about the mulims broadcasting their call, I live next door to a church with a church bell which used to ring every bloody sunday at 8am or something, I eventually learned to sleep through it. however they no longer ring the bell except for special occassions like at the end of weddings (pretty rare, maybe once every ~2 months and thats at about 4pm, usually I'm over my hangover by then).

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Last edited by Trance Nutter on Dec-28-2007 at 06:02

quote:

Originally posted by Trance Nutter so minorities run the shop is what you are saying?

i don't think it has to do with minorities really. if you live somewhere and then all of a sudden they build an airport next to your house...you can always move if its pissing you off? you know?

i can understand the opposite argument that "i was here first" or w/e. too.

i dunno how i really feel about the whole thing. meh.

Freedom is all good until someones freedom interferes with your own agenda.

quote:

Originally posted by tubularbills i don't think it has to do with minorities really. if you live somewhere and then all of a sudden they build an airport next to your house...you can always move if its pissing you off? you know? i can understand the opposite argument that "i was here first" or w/e. too. i dunno how i really feel about the whole thing. meh.

So you would not be bothered by the idea of getting pushed out at all?

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Originally posted by Elec So you would not be bothered by the idea of getting pushed out at all?

would have to evaluate that situation if/when it happened.

quote:

Originally posted by Theresa Freedom is all good until someones freedom interferes with your own agenda.

but what if your own agenda is taking away freedoms.

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quote:

Originally posted by jonSun but what if your own agenda is taking away freedoms.

touche

as long as they have to adhere to the same noise restrictions as everyone else i dont see a problem.

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I am opposed to it on the grounds that it is completely unnecessary, since those muslims that are religious to the point that they need to pray several times a day aren't likely to forget that its time for their chit chat with god (i assume they can afford watches) and as everybody else is concerned if they cant be bothered to remember that its prayer time or simply dont give a shit a man shouting at them from a speaker isnt going to make them do it either.
To be clear im not opposed to this just because we are talking about muslims, i also thing they should stop ringing that damn bell in churches. Ok we get it mass is starting...those that are inside already know that and the rest of us don't care and are annoyed by it (especially when something goes wrong with the damn thing and it rings for 20 minutes nonstop. Even the god fearing church going people must feel the need to punch the priest in the face by that time)

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lol my girlfriend, who lives in rural puerto rico, went to turkey a few months ago and stayed with a friend who lives next to a mosque. she said the prayer calls really freaked her out.