Permission
for Friday prayers to be offered over loudspeakers in Germany's largest mosque 2021
Colon
Mayor Henry Ricker said in a statement on Twitter that allowing the muezzin to
call to prayer was a sign of respect for him
Following an agreement between the administration of the German city of Cologne and the Muslim community to ease restrictions, the country's largest mosque was allowed to offer Friday prayers over a loudspeaker.
According to the foreign news agency Reuters, under a two-year agreement, all 35 mosques in Cologne will be allowed to use loudspeakers for the five-minute call to prayer between 12 noon and 3 pm.
These include the Cologne Central Mosque, which was opened in 2018 after the start of anti-Muslim sentiment by far-right parties.
Anti-Muslim sentiment in Germany intensified in 2015 following the massive influx of refugees.
Colon Mayor Henry Ricker said in a statement on Twitter that allowing the muezzin to call to prayer was a sign of respect for him.
"It's a sign that diversity is appreciated in Cologne and it's here," he said.
During the controversy over the construction of a large mosque here, its supporters assured the public that they would not broadcast the call to prayer regularly, which is heard five times a day in Muslim countries.
The city said that mosques offering Friday prayers would have to abide by the rules regarding the sound of loudspeakers and inform the neighbors in advance.
It should be noted that there are about 4.5 million Muslims living in Germany, which is the largest religious minority group in the country.