Source: CTV, By Fakiha Baig
EDMONTON — Moona Khan says every time she hears the call for prayer playing from the speakers at her mosque, her heart sings and she’s happy the tradition is finally being accepted in Canada.
The woman from Edmonton says the call, known as the “Athaan” or “Azaan,” is usually recited in Muslim countries five times a day and invites congregants to not only pray, but to join their community in goodness.
“To be able to hear it live like that … it goes deep within my soul. You really (feel) like you belong, like you know your traditions are now being accepted and being celebrated here,” Khan says.
The Azaan is usually prohibited under city noise bylaws. But about 40 mosques in Edmonton, some in Calgary and at least one in Mississauga, Ont., have brought the tradition to Canada for the month of Ramadan.
They have been allowed by their municipalities to play the call at sunset, the time when Muslims across the world take their first food and water after fasting from dawn to dusk.