The public call to Muslim Friday prayers is officially authorized in the city of Raunheim, located in the Land of Hesse south-east of Berlin. The city’s parliament adopted the decision almost unanimously, as Mayor Thomas Jühe (SPD) announced on Tuesday, German news agency Dpa reported.
According to him, the call to prayer has been heard every Friday since the summer of 2020. In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic and the associated contact restrictions, the city’s Muslim communities had successfully requested that this public call is authorized. The mayor explained that the council decided to formalize this authorization, because the call was only tolerated. He added that the Muslim call to prayer is now on a par with church bells.
In the vote last Thursday, 30 of the 31 city councilors voted in favor of the proposal tabled by two Moroccan and Turkish NGOs.
Dpa recalls that 70% of the citizens of Raunheim have an immigrant background, many of whom are Muslims. This equality of treatment is therefore necessary.
