For many years, the city of New York had been the docking station for immigrants in pursuit of a better life, and a brighter future. This had forged the city into a melting pot brimming with multiculturalism.
Immigrants, arriving at the United States, yearn for the promise of the American dream as they take the assertions of the 1776 Declaration of Independence to heart, “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” As one of the world’s most diverse cities, New York takes it upon itself to protect and ensure the rights of minorities; this was exemplified most recently with the decision allowing the Muslim call of prayer to be heard through speakers far and wide.
The city’s mayor, Eric Adams, had issued a decree allowing for the call of prayer to be transmitted through outer speakers for Friday prayers and sunset prayers during the holy month of Ramadhan.
Kuwait’s permanent envoy to the United Nations, Tareq Al-Bannai, stated to KUNA that this decree introduces all people to the tolerant, empathetic and peaceful principles of the Islamic religion.
Al-Bannai, also chief of board of directors of the Islamic cultural center in New York, stated that this is a testament to Mayor Adams noble sentiments towards the Muslim community, and further voiced his readiness to support the Mayor’s efforts in that regard.
As for director of the cultural center president, Mohammad Morsi, he hailed this exceptional step saying that it endows justice for Muslim diaspora, especially as the city had designated prayer areas within New York municipality establishments.
He mentioned that this is quite significant as most mosques in New York’s suburbs are not modeled after orthodox mosques but rather take the shape of any ordinary building, and explained that Muslims could be passing by without realizing it is a place of worship.
The cultural center, he clarified, lies in the heart of a residential area in Manhattan, thus making it difficult to blast the call of prayer through speakers.
Morsi expressed his deep appreciation for the state of Kuwait for financing and operating the center’s charitable activities, noting that humanitarian work is a pillar of Kuwaiti foreign policy.
Imam of the center’s mosque, Saad Jalloh, called this event a source of pride for the whole of the Islamic nation and a major step for the community.
Jalloh spoke of the serenity and peace that the call of prayer inspires in the hearts of Muslims and non-Muslims alike, saying that a number of people elected to convert to Islam after heeding the call.
He told KUNA that the Islamic center is the number one destination for the one million Muslims in the state, adding that the number of worship places had risen by 40 percent accordingly. Jalloh extended his thanks for Kuwait’s role in aiding the center in meeting the demands.
The Mayor, affirming the right of Muslims to practice their religious rituals freely, had announced in a press conference on August 29 a decree allowing for the Muslim call of prayer to be heard through outer speakers, on Fridays and for sunset prayers during Ramadan, without the need for prior permit.
The state of New York, following in the footsteps of the state of Minnesota, became the second state allowing for the Muslim call of prayer to be heard through sound magnifiers.
Source: Kuwait News Agency