Sleepy Cornish village kept awake by Muslims broadcasting 5am call to prayer by loudspeaker

Daily Mail ^ | 20th March 2008 | LUKE SALKELD

[forkinsocket]

It is just a few days until Easter, the most important date in the Christian calendar. But for 700 Muslims who have gathered in a rural caravan park, this week has a different religious significance.

And to some of their neighbours, the thrice-daily calls to prayer are proving a strain on a harmonious relationship. The Iranian Muslims have converged on the Trevelgue Holiday Park in Porth, Cornwall, to celebrate yesterday's Persian New Year.

Every day at sunrise, noon and sunset they broadcast their prayers, known as Adhan, on a loudspeaker system. But some residents are complaining that the noise is shattering the idyll of the quiet village near Newquay.

Neighbour Emma Brewer, 35, said "the novelty soon wore off" after the group arrived at the camp last weekend.

She said: "It lasts about 20 to 30 minutes and it is rather loud. I'm a bit naffed off by it, to be honest."

Another resident added: "We are going to have to put up with this all week. It's going off in the morning, at 5am."

A neighbour from nearby St Columb Minor says he was offended because he could hear the chanting as he made his way back from church.

He said: "Why was this broadcast at such a high level of volume so as to be heard miles away? Do the Christian church bells ring out in amplified volumes on Fridays in areas where they are at prayer?

"This was totally unnecessary especially on such an important day in our Christian calendar."

Yesterday the park's manager Mike Finnegan said prayers were at a lower volume in the morning to avoid upsetting neighbours, and insisted noise levels were checked with environmental health.

Other locals say they have not been disturbed by the religious ritual. Harry Heywood, of Restormel District Council, said the group arrived on Saturday and are booked in until tomorrow.

He said: "I haven't heard anything – only a very few people seem to be annoyed. It really isn't a problem. We get thousands of youngsters here every year when GCSEs finish and they make more noise.

"It's only a call to prayer and better than the 'thump thump thump' we get from teenage parties. I did have a couple of complaints from concerned residents who were worried about the potential noise.

"Environmental health officials and the park owner agreed asound level and I have received no more complaints since."

He added: "I've got to say that this is one of the quieter events. To think that there are 700 people there is amazing. I walk my dog nearby and haven't heard a sound."

Another resident said: "I loved it, I was hanging out of the window trying to hear. It's a unique sound that reminds me of travelling and I'd much rather hear it than church bells."

The event, organised by the Islamic Students Association, is a six-day celebration of Persian and Islamic culture.

Yesterday Muslim participants said the seagulls were louder than the call to prayers.

A mother of three from Manchester said: "It is a great time for us and brilliant for the kids to see somewhere a bit different. I can't believe how beautiful it is here. The sea is lovely.

"I'm very surprised if people have a problem with the prayers call. It's not very loud. They always put it at the lowest volume possible – sometimes we can hardly hear it.

"To be honest the seagulls and tractors around here are much noisier."

[doc1019]

Amen!

[doc1019]

I guess the next step, get up a pray with them. ;-)

[antiRepublicrat]

Funny, the Persian new year has nothing to do with Islam. Mohammed didn’t do very well in erasing all earlier aspects of the civilizations he conquered.

[PGR88]

Before long, it will be mandatory.

[lonevoice]

He said: "Why was this broadcast at such a high level of volume so as to be heard miles away? Do the Christian church bells ring out in amplified volumes on Fridays in areas where they are at prayer?

If they don't, perhaps they should!

[353FMG]

“This was totally unnecessary especially on such an important day in our Christian calendar.”

Ever considered that all this was done intentionally?

[JCG]

Every day at sunrise, noon and sunset they broadcast their prayers, known as Adhan, on a loudspeaker system.

Obama's a fan...

 

Obama: Man of the World
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
Published: March 6, 2007

Mr. Obama recalled the opening lines of the Arabic call to
prayer, reciting them with a first-rate accent. In a remark that
seemed delightfully uncalculated [...], Mr. Obama described the
call to prayer as "one of the prettiest sounds on Earth at
sunset."

http://select.nytimes.com/2007/03/06/opinion/06kristof.html?_r=3&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
http://nevadathunder.com/?p=3626




----

Send treats to the troops...
Great because you did it!
www.AnySoldier.com

[Oratam]

Harry them out of the land!

[HereInTheHeartland]

Loud speakers with pigs squealing and grunting at 5:00 am pointed back, seems appropriate medicine in this case.

[tbw2]

If it is so much like travelling that was so much better than England, why did this resident come home?

[Conservative4Ever]

Just set a damn alarm clock....problem solved.

[buccaneer81]

If it is so much like travelling that was so much better than England, why did this resident come home?

I guess for the same reasons all the Leftist American "I'm Leaving The Country If A Republican Is Elected President" folks return. Money, healthcare, opportunity and freedom.

[chadwimc]

Don’t the Brits have any rednecks? I’d set up speakers to blast Foghat or Led Zepplin right back at ‘em. Piss on islam...

[Natural Law]

I've had this wailing outside my hotel room in Malaysia at 5:00 AM and it is really annoying. But hey, you can't bang your head on the floor five times a day and not expect a little brain damage.

[HereInTheHeartland]

A large outdoor celebration of the art of breakfast and of bacon and sausage consumption seems in order.
Light the large outdoor grills at 4:30 am, billowing clouds of fragrant pork smoke by 5:00 am seems in order

[Eye of Unk]

In the future they are used before meals.

[Dr.Zoidberg]

RPG!

RPG fix everything!

[Salamander]

Yeah, but they're kinda useless until the sun comes up:

[TXnMA]

I’ve heard ‘-) that straight pins inserted through speaker cables (shorting the two conductors together) does wonders for amplifier output transistors...

[nutmeg]

Another resident said: "I loved it, I was hanging out of the window trying to hear. It's a unique sound that reminds me of travelling and I'd much rather hear it than church bells."

England is finished.

I fear you may be correct, buccaneer81...