I find the call to prayer more offensive than inclusive
Having lived in Bedstuy where a loud Muslim prayer happens every Friday morning, it's annoying as fuck and should not be exempted from ordinary noise ordinances.
I lived right next to a Mosque in Kensington (that opened up without a proper permit in a residential zone a year after I purchased my property). They used to broadcast their prayers at ungodly volume. It was loud as hell, would cut through my headphones and ruin any ability I had to do anything, even think straight. I made numerous noise complaints but nothing was ever done by the NYPD. Got so bad that I finally sold the place and moved somewhere dominated by orthodox Jewry just because I knew they'd serve as a bulwark against me ever having to hear any prayers again.
I'm sure that the people who think this is a good idea view it as a simple matter of religious freedom. It is not. My experience was one of having someone else's religion thrust upon me. Church bells are annoying and loud, but they do not contain actual religiosity. I was always taught that my rights ended when I infringe upon someone else's rights. Broadcasting prayers so loud it can be heard above the ambient noise in NYC is trampling on my rights to exist free of religion.
Believe whatever you want, but keep it to yourself. I feel awful for everyone who lives near a mosque in NYC.
My experience was one of having someone else’s religion thrust upon me.
That's exactly what this is. If someone is part of the religion, they either already know what time it is or have set up their own alarm to notify them. The only reason to blast this across the neighbourhood is to force everyone to hear it.
Freedom of religion is freedom from religion.
Have you not heard the shabbat siren in Brooklyn ran by orthodox Jews and also run every Friday? They are literal air raid sirens in Williamsburg. https://www.jta.org/jewniverse/2014/brooklyns-weekly-shabbos-air-raid-siren
I have, on occasion, heard the siren in Williamsburg. But a siren is very different from having to hear an entire Friday service blasting into my home. Shabbat sirens and church bells suck, but they are only symbolically religious. Mosques are broadcasting their literal prayers. I felt prayed upon. Puns aside, we're not even talking about the public square, where people have differing opinions on the appropriateness of religious ideas/imagery. This is about a person in their private residence or private business being subjected to someone else's religion in full.
Houses of worship can broadcast up to 10 decibels over the ambient sound level
10db may not sound like much but a sound 10db louder sounds twice as loud to the human ear.
The ambient sound level... OF FUCKING NEW YORK
Damn logarithms!
I wonder if this could be solved by Church of Satan setting up and blasting Slayer or some death metal at 10db above ambient. Seems only fair.
The Satanic Temple. They're the awesome activists. The Church of Satan are a bunch of Ayn Rand-loving assholes who do a bunch of stupid woo-woo rituals and try to justify hedonism.
If they actually use it in the same manner (congregation, break fast, something besides just to make noise ), why not? After all, their point is "what's for you is for me as well."
I'm picturing some angry dude in an apartment near this place just blasting death metal out a, window to drown the prayer out.
It's a start.
The Islamic call to prayer happens before sunrise, just after noon, late afternoon, just after sunset, and night time.
I think you’re going to have a fuck load of complaining when that bad boy goes off at 4:30 am. I used to live in Mosul and you could hear the imams all across the city. It’s like a giant alarm clock.
Religions shouldn't get special privileges.
This is some backward ass bullshit. Keep your religious garbage to yourself. Complain about Christians forcing school prayers then have this dumb shit.
We hear church bells all the time, so this seems reasonable.
Glad church bells were the top comment... I grew up across the street from a church and I cannot say this loud enough FUCK CHURCH BELLS!! Ban them both, if you need to be called to pray or told what time it is buy a smartphone and set a reminder.
I lived next door to a church for a while, it was a fucking nightmare.
Are they using bells then?
I’d be annoyed if I lived near a Christian church that had a megaphone telling people to come pray, but bells at least seem less intrusive.
Less intrusive? They're ridiculously loud.
Do you know what's not loud? Configuring alarms in your phone. Wonder if these people have thought about it.
Fine with me. I'd be happy if both church bells and calls to prayer weren't allowed.
Agreed.
Maybe just personal preference for me then, but I find it’s easier to ignore as it registers as background noise.
Someone blasting music or a speech would absolutely drive me up the wall though.
I'm wondering if you grew up hearing them and that's why. You're far more likely to tune out an intrusive noise that you're very used to.
We could just make that illegal too instead.
That's the argument that all the "Muslims shouldn't have extra privileges" miss.
No one should have extra privileges, but we can't take away church bells because of all the Christians would cry foul, so we're stuck giving more religions the right to make excess noise everytime they ask because otherwise it's discrimination.
Caterwauling over a loudspeaker is much more disruptive and annoying than a bell and I don't care who is caterwauling or ringing the bell
But honestly, yeah, apply all noise limits to everyone in the same way. If a bell is being rung during quiet hours and it's too loud, then hit the church with a violation.
Church bells originally existed for a purpose though and that was to strike the hour and ring alarm. Iirc the call to prayer can be used to tell time but like once or twice a day at best.
Religion: Get away without paying taxes, receive special privileges, and influence government policy!
Well, they managed to put the foot in the door (you're fucked) just you wait what other special treatments religious folk will require ...
what if you live next door? Kinda like your neighbor's dog barking or mowing grass if you work nights
I lived about 3 miles from a church in a mid-sized town in the midwest. On Sundays they'd play music on some gigantic jangly bell thing I could hear loudly at my house... again, 3 miles away. I can't imagine the noise complaints a regular person would get for playing something that loud, but they're a church so apparently it's fine.
This happens surprisingly often. There is a church on my block that I can't hear unless I go right up to the building on Sundays and I know that they do get into because during Covid they moved outside with the singing.
On the one hand, I would be annoyed by more loud noise. On the other hand, it would show the other churches how obnoxious their 5 to 10 minute bell jingles are (hopefully).
My GF lives by a mosque where they blast their off-tone, lazy chants at full blast. Its awful. Its so loud it rattles her windows. Apparently its to evangelize, but I can't imagine anyone getting swayed when their ear drums burst from poorly toned chants.
I still think this issue can be solved with an app. In fact I am willing to help work on it as long as they promise to put it to bed.
You get a little cry to prayer on your personal device based on your location.
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