Posted on 03/28/2008 10:29:29 AM PDT by JCG
Muslims students at the University of Miami have organized for the Islamic call to prayer, broadcasted each Friday afternoon this month from Richter Library's clock tower in commemoration of Islamic Awareness Month.
The call to prayer, or Adhan, is spoken in Arabic and is meant to resonate throughout the area.
"It serves as constant reminder of when we have to pray, because prayer itself is a reminder of our religion and how we practice it," said Selima Jumarali, the vice president of the organization.
According to the teachings of Islam, Muslims are to pray five times a day. In Muslim-majority countries, the call is usually performed live by an individual and is heard before every prayer.
Friday afternoon was chosen as the time to play the call because "it revolves around the day of congregational prayer," Jumarali said. Like Saturday for Jews or Sunday for Christians, Friday "holds strong significance for Muslims," she said.
Outside the library last Friday, students listened during the three-minute recording.
Kaleena Salgueiro said that although she could not understand the words in Arabic, the call was "pretty" and "very melodic." She said it reminded her of chanting in a monastery.
Razan Alif, who is Muslim, was also sitting outside and heard the prayer call.
"You always hear church bells ringing, but you never feel the existence of the Muslim community on campus," she said.
When asked whether they thought the Friday prayer call should be continued even after the month, many replied "why not?"
Regardless, Jumarali expressed her gratitude toward the administrators for allowing this expression to be displayed.
"It brings true variety to the university and open appreciation to diversity, especially in these times when people have misunderstandings of Muslims and who we are," she said.
Farah Dosani may be contacted at f.dosani1@umiami.edu.
Third selection - neither.
There are millions that are not crazed, killer Muslims. It’s the individuals using their religion for their own means, not the millions of non-violent ones, that are the threat.
No, it’s the individuals who are practicing their religion as it is written who are the killers.
The only moderate muslims are ones who are not devout, and who are not following the Koran. When the Koran’s teaching is adhered to, people die.
And those individuals are in the very small minority of Muslims in the world.
Most, obviously, do not follow the Korans teachings that closely.
Kaleena Salgueiro is not a Western name.
Newbie? Guilty as charged. Islamist? Me? I’m not sure if this is supposed to be sarcastic. I was one of the ones saying that UofM shouldn’t be doing this...
I NEVER want to hear that resonating all over town in the U.S.!!!
I hear it here every day, several times a day, but this is their turf.
I do not want to hear that on my own soil. They are free to practice their religion in our nation, but they should not be broadcasting that out all over town. Believe me, that sound carries for miles.
Your error is fundamental. You mistakenly believe Islam is a religion. It does not meet the criteria. It is a cult of death.
not orthodox easter...
nonsense.
the fact they are doing it is offensive.
It does not matter if human sacrifices are unobtrusive they are still offensive.
The silent millions. They are trusting that their more violent brothers will do the dirty work for them.
Whew, good to hear from you. There were some folks worried.
what a load of cow manure.
the silent ones who stood by and did nothing in ww II?
the cowards who tried to appease the british in 1776?
No appologies, Islam has shown itself to be a political system for desert tribes. It is suited for the illiterate and obedient under the boisterous and meglomaniacal.
Peaceful millions? no, just Dhimi pacifists waiting for the more violent to do their dirty work for them.
OK, then I am sympathetic to all religions except Islam, which is not a religion, but a cult of death.
I do not agree.
Yes, and since it is a desert tribe political system, I have no fear that it will take much of a hold in America.
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