Amsterdam mosque pushing for minaret prayer call, breaking earlier deal
The Wester Mosque in Amsterdam-West wants to amplify its call to prayer by making it from its minaret, despite previous agreements not to do so, Het Parool reports.
The wish of the mosque to make its call to prayer from the 42 meter high minaret came to light in the summer, to the dismay of the homeowners association of the adjascent residential complex. It was brought up again when Mayor Eberhard van der Laan visited the mosque last week. The Amsterdam VVD now wants to know what's going on.
"in 2005, when the city council approved the construction of the mosque, it was agreed that there would be no amplified call to prayer", Marja Ruigrok, leader of the VVD's Amsterdam faction, said to the newspaper. "Residents in particular need to know what they are in for. As far as the VVD is concerned, previous agreements will be complied with and the Wester Mosque, like so many other mosques in Amsterdam, will remain silent."
