The Islamic call to prayer (adhan) will be broadcast for the first time in South Minneapolis to motivate the Muslim community to maintain social distancing rules during the during the holy month of Ramadan as the U.S. struggles to cope with the corovairus epidemic.
Starting from Thursday, the first day of Ramadan, the adhan will be broadcast five times a day and last until sundown on Saturday, May 23 in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, which has a large Muslim population, especially of Somali and Ethiopian origin.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on Tuesday approved the recitation of the adhan which will be generated from the Dar Al-Hijrah Mosque and sponsored by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the country’s largest Muslim-American association.
“At a time when physical distancing requires we pray apart, it’s incumbent on leaders to create a sense of togetherness where we can. Adhan [the call to prayer] provides solidarity and comfort, both of which are essential during a time of crisis,” said Frey in a statement.
The holiest month in the Islamic calendar is one of family and togetherness – community, reflection, charity and prayer.
But with shuttered mosques, coronavirus curfews and bans on mass prayers from Senegal to Southeast Asia, some 1.8 billion Muslims are facing a Ramadan like never before.
Imam of Dar Al-Hijrah Mosque Sharif Mohamed said that he considers this broadcast as a means of reminding Muslims that they are “not alone” even if they have to spend the whole of Ramadan immured in their homes.
“This is a re-connection, a calming, to give people assurance that we are with you. That’s what we try to achieve,” said Mohamed.
“All over the world Muslims understand and feel great comfort in the public call to prayer. In this time of fear and isolation, the Muslim communities of Minnesota benefit from a city that honors and loves all of its diversity,” he added.
Director of CAIR-Minnesota Jaylani Hussein stated that he believes daily broadcasts could help to fuel anti-Muslim feelings but at the same time promote solidarity in the area.
“Just as we have historically allowed churches to call out for prayers using a bell, this is a continuation of the same freedom that other faiths have had,” he added, pointing out that the adhan being broadcast from a loudspeaker isn’t widespread or generally permitted in the U.S.
The death toll in the U.S. from the novel coronavirus has surpassed the 42,000 mark on Tuesday.
There are more than 2.5 million confirmed infections globally with more than 171,000 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. More than 659,000 have recovered.
