Al-Azhar commends initiatives of calling to Muslim prayers in the West and emphasizes that these boost tolerance and coexistence among adherents of different religions

     Al-Azhar commends the initiatives of calling to Muslim prayers in some Western countries. The sound of the adhān (call to prayer) was raised from some mosques there in an attempt to appease the Muslims in this state of panic and worry prevalent all over the world because of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

     Al-Azhar confirms that such noble initiatives create an atmosphere of cooperation and intimacy, and enhance the values of tolerance and coexistence among the adherents of different religions and the people of different cultures. It adds that such initiatives indicate that religions do embrace one another in harmony and have the same sublime objectives, all aiming at preserving the human lives and protecting them from dangers.

     The German authorities allowed mosques to announce the adhān despite a previous ban on using loudspeakers to announce it in Berlin. The British authorities also permitted the use of loudspeakers to announce the adhān from the mosques in the British capital London. At the University of Duke, North Carolina, students were allowed to announce the adhān from the top of the church tower inside the university campus.