India celeb doesn’t need mosque loudspeakers to be ‘reminded of my God’
India today, America tomorrow?
What originates in India eventually migrates to Great Britain. What catches on in Great Britain invariably finds a home in the United States. With that said, lets get on with this cautionary tale.
The Islamic call to prayer (azaan) is sounded five times a day from mosques from Timbuktu in West Africa to Tasmania, Australia. With the length of time of day (as defined as hours of daylight from sunrise to sunset) varying due to changes of seasons, the times of the azaan are never set in stone.
The initial call to prayer is known as the fajr, which is sounded by the mosque’s crier (muezzin) right before sunrise. In other words, the fajr could conceivably be blasted over the loudspeakers as early as 5 AM.
That brings us to India. Even though the overwhelming majority of the South Asian nation’s people are practicing Hindus (80 percent), 14 percent of the country’s citizens are Muslims (172 million).
Believe it or not, India is one of the largest Muslim nations on the planet. In fact, there are more Muslims in India than in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Iraq combined.
But nonetheless, the well over 1.15 billion Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains don’t particularly appreciate getting rousted out of a sound sleep every morning, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Case in point would be Bollywood actress Suchitra Krishnamoorthy, who recently took to Twitter to give her two rupees worth of opinion regarding the loudspeaker-enhanced fajr.
As reported by India.com, the actress-singer made quite clear that she rises well before sunrise all on her own to pray and meditate. No screaming loudspeakers needed, thank you very much.
i wake up at Brahmamuhurt of my own accord & do my prayers & riyaz.& yoga. I dont need public loudspeakers to remind me of my God or my duty https://t.co/7rPSzG1EfB
— Suchitra (@suchitrak) July 23, 2017
However, the Times of India delves a bit deeper into the controversy. As it turns out, Krishnamoorthy actually posted one day earlier;
came home at 4.45 am 2 most aggressive/ ear shattering call of azaan. Nothing more lowlife & dumb than such extreme imposed religiousity
— Suchitra (@suchitrak) July 23, 2017
Of course, that ignited a number of tweets from the followers of Mohammed who wagged a disapproving finger at the movie star for coming home late, even though they in reality had no idea to her personal circumstances. After all, it’s easier to condemn than to simply ask.
Anyhow, the pretty celebrity fairly ended the conversation when she tweeted that the pre-sunrise call to prayer is “uncivilized”.
nobody objects to azaan or prayers during decent hours. But to be wakung up entire neighbourhood at 5 am is not civilized https://t.co/PBT94NtuGN
— Suchitra (@suchitrak) July 23, 2017