Muslim minaret joins church spires in Oxford

[Al-khiyal]

Muslim minaret joins church spires in Oxford

OXFORD, England, March 16, 2008 - Famous for its university and quintessentially English "dreaming spires," the city of Oxford is in a controversy over the sound of Muslim call to prayer from a local mosque.

Those church spires have been joined by a minaret, with a loudspeaker on top which has triggered protests from some of the locals concerned about the influx of a foreign culture.

"I don't have any problem with Islam but don't force it on people," said Oxford University historian Allan Chapman, whose typically English house has a view of both the minaret and the nearby Church of Saint Mary and Saint John.

The counter argument runs that the pealing of church bells is also a call to prayer.

The Central Mosque was built in the east of the city, the "other Oxford", which is home to a poorer population and more immigrants than the historic centre of ancient, sandstone colleges, libraries and students on bicycles.

The city has a population of just 140,000, including nearly 20,000 students.

The mosque itself - which can hold up to 700 of the town's 6,000 Muslims - is little more than a 15-minute walk from Oxford's colleges, many of which were founded by Christian religious scholars as long ago as the 12th century.

But while the city's history is marked by Christianity's influence, some believe the mosque's imposing minaret defiles the city's famous skyline.

Those feelings have been brought to a head since last November when mosque authorities expressed a desire to broadcast via loudspeaker the Muslim prayer call, sparking controversy that has not yet died down.

Wearing a three-piece suit with a bow tie and a gold chain hanging out of his jacket pocket, Chapman describes himself as "profoundly English" but rejects suggestions that he is taking an extreme view.

"I'm a liberal." he said.

For him, the mosque’s presence – not just the call to prayer - threatens Britain's values and history.

Charlie Cleverly, the rector of the Saint Aldates church, in the heart of Oxford, says the city has long represented "the essence of Englishness".

To calm the mood, Central Mosque's treasurer Masood Ahmed insisted that the desire to issue a call to prayer was still only a proposal which required the approval of Oxford's mayor.

"We'll get their views, what they feel," he said.

The Church of England Bishop of Oxford, the Right Reverend John Pritchard, has entered the row, but supports plans to broadcast the prayer call, calling for people to "relax" and "enjoy community diversity".

"I believe we have good relationships with the Muslim community here in Oxford and I am personally very happy for the mosque to call the faithful to prayer in east Oxford," he said in January.

But he accepted that the number of times the call went out and its volume still needed to be resolved.

Inayat Bunglawala, assistant secretary general for the Muslim Council of Britain said that the prayer call was already broadcast three times a day at a large mosque in east London and that it had "never been problematic".

[Bent_Bladi]

i wish all the mosques were like that... there's nothing like hearing the adhan while you're out and about and taking a little break to pray duhr/asr/maghrib in the mosque