Amsterdam Blue Mosque Allowed Call for Prayer Using Loudspeaker

Amsterdam, MINA – Amsterdam De Blauwe Moskee finally was allowed to do the call to prayer (Azan) for the fir time using loudspeaker on Friday afternoon, November 7.

Mosque priest, Yassin Elforkani, told Het Parool, that a special company had connected loudspeakers and measured the volume level (noise).

He hopes that the improvement of the first call to prayer will be the beginning of a new tradition in the Dutch capital, thus quoted from NLTimes on Saturday.

Elforkoni also hopes it will help make Islam more visible. Thus, residents of Amsterdam can become more accustomed to Islam.

“We do not want to provoke with this, but try to normalize the Islamic tradition,” the priest told Parool.

De Blauwe Moskee is the first mosque in Amsterdam that echoes the call to prayer with loudspeakers. The Amsterdam city council is actually so critical about this idea.

The Mayor of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema, said that increasing the level of the call to prayer was unnecessary and out of date.

However, they also need to recognize that this is under the umbrella of religious freedom, just as Christian churches are allowed to ring bells on weekends. (T/Sj/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)