The Muezzin is Yodeling in Garbsen, Because… Coronavirus

Restrictions on religious services due to the ChiCom flu have been imposed in Germany, and mosques are affected as well as churches. In compensation, Churches are encouraging the faithful by ringing their bells at particular times. Now the mosques are following suit by broadcasting the adhan, the call to prayer.

Many thanks to MissPiggy for translating this article about the situation in Garbsen:

Islamic Prayer Call From Loudspeakers Sends The Same Message As The Church Bells

March 27, 2020

Garbsen — In order to prevent the rapid spread of coronavirus infection, people’s social contacts must be massively limited, including at church. The congregation are supposed to be encouraged by the daily bell ringing. Even in Garbsen the church bells ring at some churches every evening around 7pm.

Since the DITIB-Turkish Islamic community in Garbsen e.V. on the Bachstraße and Sandstraße cannot let their prayer meetings take place, a corresponding signal is also being sent here. This letter and a corresponding video is available to GCN and many readers asked if the city of Garbsen is aware of it. GCN can confirm that the city of Garbsen also has the video.

The city of Garbsen responded to a press request as follows:

In connection with the coronavirus crisis, the Christian parishes decided to ring the church bells every day at around 6pm. The mosque communities in Garbsen wanted to join this sign of solidarity and community. They informed the city of Garbsen about this in advance.

The fundamental right of religious freedom and the free exercise of religion applies here. This fundamental right applies to churches, mosques, synagogues and other religious communities.

The city of Garbsen assumes that the call to prayer of the mosque communities as a sign of solidarity lasts only a few minutes at a time and that the volume is observed with the due consideration of residents and neighbors.

Following complaints about the volume received today, we asked the mosque communities to reduce the volume. This has already been confirmed by the municipalities.

10 thoughts on “The Muezzin is Yodeling in Garbsen, Because… Coronavirus

  1. “The city of Garbsen assumes that the call to prayer of the mosque communities as a sign of solidarity lasts only a few minutes at a time and that the volume is observed with the due consideration of residents and neighbors.”

    “Following complaints about the volume received today, we asked the mosque communities to reduce the volume. This has already been confirmed by the municipalities.”

    I wonder how low they lowered it, from battle cry to standard obnoxious bag pipe level maybe?

    • A clever flash mob solution to the noise pollution would be to have hundreds or thousands of residents direct a speaker outdoors and simultaneously play several minutes of a donkey braying at maximum volume while the muezzin is yodeling. Someone more clever than I could fairly easily develop an app that would sync the speakers of everyone who downloaded it to play the appropriate file at the appropriate times.

      An independent radio station would be the ideal old-school way of doing this, but the necessity to get licenses from the government means they could be shut down or forced off air for such defiance.

      • Playing classical music would be better. Third worlders in general can’t abide European classical music.

        PS – Dying for a cool pint of my favourite hand-pulled ale… Huddersfield Rat Brewery’s ‘White Rat’. Slurrrrp!

  2. If they want to show solidarity with the residents, why don’t they just move back to their countries of origin? I would help them to pack their luggage and even prepare a lunchbag. BTW churchbells are often pieces of excellent craftsmanship and sound accordingly fine. Has anybody here ever heard calls or noise from a synagogue or a buddhist shrine?
    And Mason, I like your analogy of the bagpipe and I think it was Shakespeare who wrote that its sound makes one want to release the bladder.

    • The late British conductor Sir Thomas Beecham, famous for his acerbic wit, was asked by a woman which instrument her son should learn: “The bagpipes, madam, then when he plays out of tune, no-one will know the difference”.

      • Thats why pipers march when making their racket; they are trying to get away from their own noise!

    • I love the haunting sound of bagpipes. The sound gets in your bones. Find a youtube video of bagpipers playing Amazing Grace. It is absolutely beautiful.

      • I do too.

        I don’t think it is appropriate to play in response to the yodeling yawp of mangy bearded muezzin. Same for classical music, which represents the height of western musical achievement. Play the braying of a bunch of asses instead; only with such a racket can proper contempt be shown.

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