Amid Covid lockdown, Adhan reverberates across Europe

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Amid Covid lockdown, Adhan reverberates across Europe

Europe seems to have slackened the restrictions on religious freedom for Muslims as it tumbles to survive against coronavirus pandemic

Thursday April 16, 2020 8:02 PM, UNA-OIC

Berlin: Nearly 100 mosques in Germany and the Netherlands recited Adhan (Azan) - Muslim’s call to prayer in a bid to support the Muslim communities amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The adhan, also written as adhaan, azan, azaan or athan, also called ezan in Turkish, was recited from the mosques belonging to the Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs (DİTİB) and the Islamic Community National View, one of Germany‘s largest Muslim-Turkish associations.

The representative of DITIB Fahrettin Alptekin said that the recitation of Azan from mosques across Germany is allowed to boost the morale of the Muslim community amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Also in the Netherlands, the recitation of Adhaan is growing to mobilize the community against the virus.

Europe seems to have slackened the restrictions on religious freedom for Muslims as it tumbles to survive against coronavirus pandemic. For them, communal cohesion is crucial to fight the pandemic, Global Village space reported.

The Muslim call to prayer, Adhan, had been banned in several European countries before, particularly, Germany where a court had ordered a local mosque to stop the reciting of Azan on the application filed by a Christian couple.

Several European countries had tightened the religious freedom of Muslims from banning Muslim women from wearing face veils and imposing heavy restrictions on wearing hijab in public spaces.

Now, the recitation of Azan from mosques in various European countries amid the coronavirus pandemic has been an unusual yet emotional event for Muslims who have been struggling to follow their religious practices under strict restrictions in foreign countries.

In a first, BBC begins the broadcast of Friday Muslim prayers on its network as mosques shut down across Britain, part of the extensive measures against coronavirus.

Hence, British-Muslims will hear the Friday sermon and prayers broadcast on BBC Radio for the first time. Different imams lead the 5:50 am broadcasts every week on Friday from 14 local radio stations of BBC.

The imam recites verses from the Holy Qur’an and quotes of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) before delivering the sermon and leading the listeners in prayers. The program is titled, ‘Islamic Reflections’.

The arrangements have been made to facilitate the Muslim community to the run-up to the month of Ramadan till the end of April.

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