Sweden Changes Law To Allow Mosques To Broadcast Prayer Calls

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May 8, 2018 Baxter Dmitry News, World 0
A mosque in Stockholm has received approval to blast prayer calls from its minaret using loudspeakers, creating a precedent that legal experts warn will allow mosques all over Sweden to broadcast calls to prayer.
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A mosque in Stockholm has received approval to blast prayer calls from its minaret using loudspeakers, creating a precedent that legal experts warn will allow mosques all over Sweden to broadcast calls to prayer five times per day to the local community. 

On Tuesday, a majority of the members of Botkyrka municipality’s city planning committee voted in favour of scrapping a 1994 prohibition on allowing prayer calls dating from before the construction of the mosque, the Dagen newspaper reported.

The Christian Democrats were the only party to vote against allowing the mosque to make prayer calls.

TheLocal.se reports: The matter was put to a vote after Ismail Okur, chair of the Botkyrka Islamic Association (Islamiska föreningen i Botkyrka) filed a citizens’ petition with the local council in January seeking permission to allow prayer calls at the mosque.

He told Dagen that members of the association decided it was time they took steps to exercise their right to religious freedom in Sweden.

“We’ve lived our whole lives in Sweden; we’ve paid taxes; we’ve been exemplary citizens; we’ve given a lot to Sweden,” he said.

“Now we want to get a little back. Now we want to have religious freedom.”

Muslim worshippers today gathered for the Friday prayer, or Jummah, at a mosque in Stockholm which saw the first-ever call to prayer to be recited in Sweden.
Muslim worshippers today gathered for the Friday prayer, or Jummah, at a mosque in Stockholm which saw the first-ever call to prayer to be recited in Sweden.

However, the local council’s decision to allow prayer calls at the mosque is only the first step toward making Okur’s request a reality.

First the entire municipal council and executive board must approve the move. Then the Islamic Association must decide whether to file a request for a permit with local police, or start sounding the call to prayer immediately.

The decision could be of major significance for Sweden, as it could set a precedent for other mosques in the country to follow, according to Dagen.

Stefan Dayne, a Christian Democrat member of the city planning committee who voted against lifting the ban, claimed that members of other parties didn’t vote to uphold the prayer call ban because “they were afraid” of losing the support of local Muslims.

“We have nothing against religious freedom. We’re for freedom of expression. And we have nothing against Muslims. But we don’t think local government has the competence to rule on prayer calls,” he told the paper.

“It’s a message that’s being trumpeted and which can offend other groups and therefore we see it as a matter for the police.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pi2UzysFcd8

Baxter Dmitry

Baxter Dmitry

Baxter Dmitry is a writer at The People's Voice. He covers politics, business and entertainment. Speaking truth to power since he learned to talk, Baxter has travelled in over 80 countries and won arguments in every single one. Live without fear.
Email: baxter@thepeoplesvoice.tv
Baxter Dmitry

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