My sister showed me this video. The brother who posted it waxed that “In Switzerland, they have put ban on Masjid Minarets and on public azaan. In 2007, a Christian protestor, showed his love for Adhaan and frustration over these actions by the Swiss government and gave azaan all over Switzerland in a most ingenious way. Mashallah, here you see the entire Operation Azaan –and its amazing effects in Switzerland :). Azaan from church towers and Mountains– the country was stunned!”
As I searched further I realized that more than a protestor- he is an artist, Johannes Gees, who used the salat as he calls the adhaan as art and chronicled the reactions of the Swiss public to the sound of the Adhaan. He mixed in the Pope’s sermons simultaneously with Adhaan calling it Shifting Identities.
Ever since 9/11, I have been thoroughly annoyed by the abuse of religion as a battlefround in international relations and national political-conflicts. In 2007, a grou of nationalist politicians initiated a referendum to ban the construction of minarets in Switzerland (of which only three existed). One of the planned new minarets was supposed to be built in a small city called Langenthal. Its height 5 meters 25 centimeters. I feel that spreading fear among people can only be understood as a lack of trust in the liberal values that matter to me. So I decided to make a statement against those who abuse religion to fight against some of the most important values of our society, such as generosity, tolerance and freedom of religion. Being an artist, I chose the classic artist´s strategy: provocation.-Johannes Gees.
Ever since 9/11, I have been thoroughly annoyed by the abuse of religion as a battlefround in international relations and national political-conflicts. In 2007, a grou of nationalist politicians initiated a referendum to ban the construction of minarets in Switzerland (of which only three existed). One of the planned new minarets was supposed to be built in a small city called Langenthal. Its height 5 meters 25 centimeters. I feel that spreading fear among people can only be understood as a lack of trust in the liberal values that matter to me. So I decided to make a statement against those who abuse religion to fight against some of the most important values of our society, such as generosity, tolerance and freedom of religion. Being an artist, I chose the classic artist´s strategy: provocation.-Johannes Gees.
I respect that- to be a true liberal you should be accepting of a whole spectrum of views. The Swiss ban on minarets reeks of prejudice in a country known as ‘bastion of tolerance’. Out of the 6 total minarets which are basically towers on a mosque akin to steeples on a church, NONE had the capacity to actually call out the adhaan, the call to prayer. They are just token architectural elements.
Put this alongside the reversion of a member of the Swiss People’s Party ( the main backers of the ban),
Daniel Streich, who holds an elected local office and was a long time member of the Swiss People’s Party, announced his resignation from his party. He had been a devout, Bible-reading and church-going Christian. Two years ago, however, he converted to Islam. He kept his conversion under wraps. The Swiss People’s Party’s recent campaign against minarets, however, became too much for Streich. He made his conversion public, and denounced the campaign as a “witch hunt”. OpedNews
and it only intensifies my belief that we are nothing unless Allah choses to use us. These are not coincidences these are signs for those who believe. Whatever Gees’ intentions were; the sight and sound of the Adhaan resonating over the Alps made my heart sing for joy. He has done what we as Muslims can not or did not do. Let me say that again- whatever Allah (SWT) wants he just says ‘Be’ and it is….
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