Rock Beats Muezzin: Offensive Mosque Speakers Removed after Threat of Reprisal
Latest update: July 25th, 2012
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Photo Credit: Dick Schmitt
That’s all it took – a well coordinated campaign that delivered a simple message to the Muezzin and the local leaders in the village of Al Issawiya, near the French Hill neighborhood of Jerusalem: If you don’t stop waking us up at 5 in the morning and disturbing us with unbelievably high Allah-inspired decibels four more times during the day, we’ll hire a special events company with four giant speakers that normally accompany the likes of Madonna and Mick Jagger, and blast you back.
According to Mynet, the residents of French Hill, Har Choma and Pisgat Ze’ev scored a decisive victory in the battle against the muezzin speakers of the mosque without actually having to ever make good on their threat.
The stupendous response their plight and their battle plan was receiving online, and most emphatically right here, at the Jewish Press (some sites were undecided, but we don’t harbor much liberalism when it comes to Muezzin wakeup calls), encouraged the Jewish residents of those three neighborhoods to keep up their threats.
This led to a meeting between the sound-warring sides, a meeting that included the commanding officer of the local police station, the Mukhtar (chief) of Al-Issawiya Darwish Darwish, the Imam of the local mosque, Sami Muchsein, the director of the French Hill Community Administration, Yochanan Bechler, and the Jerusalem municipality’s director of Emergency and Security section Itzik Nidam.
Our understanding is that during the meeting the guy from French Hill went into specific detail regarding the amazing rock concerts his neighbors were going to be treated to starting, say, at 2 every morning. There may have been talk of the effect of the late Jimmy Hendrix could have on a picturesque little village in the mountains.
The last time rock music was used in anger was when President Bill Clinton’s FBI laid a siege on the Branch Davidian compound west of Waco, Texas, in 1993, using loudspeakers to generate high decibel sounds of laughter, birds squawking, sirens, rabbits being slaughtered, rock music, and Tibetan chants.
We have no idea whether or not the above alternatives were used to illustrate what some angry Jewish neighbors who’ve had enough can do with four really big speakers. We do know that in the end Mukhtar Darwish Darwish blinked and promised to remove the speakers that were trained at the Jewish neighborhood.
“We were very afraid that they would direct speakers with noisy music at the neighborhood homes, and also we want to be good neighbors,” he said. “We decided that four speakers are enough.”
If this incident doesn’t teach you everything you need to know about living in peace in the Middle East, nothing will. Over here, the late great President Teddy Roosevelt no doubt would have advised: “Speak Loudly and carry two big sticks.”
tell a friendAbout the Author: JewishPress.com Senior Internet Editor Yori Yanover has been a working journalist since age 17, before he enlisted and worked for Ba'Machane Nachal. Since then he has worked for Israel Shelanu, the US supplement of Yedioth, JCN18.com, USAJewish.com, Lubavitch News Service, Arutz 7 (as DJ on the high seas), and the Grand Street News. He has published two fun books: The Cabalist's Daughter: A Novel of Practical Messianic Redemption, and How Would God REALLY Vote.
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5 Responses to “Rock Beats Muezzin: Offensive Mosque Speakers Removed after Threat of Reprisal”
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LMAO… Fight fire with fire….
He thinks it’s not kosher.
That’ll shut ‘em up. Either that, or they’ll up the ante and windows and ears will be sacrificed in this high frequency Royal Rumble.
I was there, and the LOUD prayers coming from the nearby mosques could be heard for miles around, it seemed. (we stayed in 3 different hotels in Israel) the prayers, chants, and whatever else it is.. ESPECIALLY THE ONES THEY BLAST FROM THE MOSQUES AT 5:00am, were extremely disturbing and annoying! We were deprived of SLEEP! had to be up early for our daily tours. bot not that early!!! I hope this can be stopped throughout Israel, if it’s within earshot of Jewish, secular, and other neighborhoods! And since it’s coming from a false, man-made doctrine (of hell, NOT HaShem, who is The One and Only True G-d!) this makes it so much more ridiculous and pointless.. the things people are willing to do for a lie! smh…
Good! I’m glad they’re praying, but the rest of the world still has the right to sleep
What an idiot this guy is. it would have been inconceivable, I suppose, for all the parties to sit down and negotiate this like adults. Instead some childish threat was issued that would have hurt everybody and the idiot who wrote this article is actually proud of that.
was anyone shot? No! Were negotiators burned alive for talking to Jews? No! You are kind of a whiny little baby aren't you?
they did sit down…or didn't you read the article…? idiot…
The residents of French Hill have been trying for YEARS. They requested nicely for the speakers to be removed. Unfortunately, the only thing they understand is force. No one wants it to be this way, but what are we supposed to do? Would YOU like to be awakened at a quarter to five every single morning?
A dispute between two hostile neighborhoods was resolved without bloodshed? You bet your poopik I'm proud to report it. have you seen what happens in Al Issawiya when things don't work out peacefully?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/activestills/5726726384/
The idiot who keeps writing these pieces.
Why is it that the only language these guys understand is violence? Why can't they negotiate in good faith without the need to waste everyone's time and money playing this stupid and infantile games?
Why can't we all get along, you mean? Let's see… How long are you on our planet? Do you and your crew need a place for Shabbat?
I think blasting MBD's "Yidin" at 2 am would have definitely sent a message.
I think they ought to blast over and over again, the 1967 taking of the Temple Mount. It would send a message to the true infidels (muslims) and the Jewish people.
The Clash's "Rock the Casbah" would have been more to the point.
now this is sarcasm why cant the both parties sit down and have some talks and come to a solution.
They did. It was a success. The 4 speakers that are directed at the village homes stay. Those trained on the Jewish neighborhood were removed.
this is example of suppression of muslims rights of religious freedom..Israel will be wiped out from map one day..ur promised land is hell..& jews are cursed people..ALLAH AKBAR.
oh….shut up…
LOL Our Promised Land is hell?? LOL LOL It's a paradise here!
u r backed by devil USA..just wait..billions are SALADIN are waiting to crush you..relly u people are are cursed people from the time of Holy prophet Moses (peace be upon him)..
LOL LOL LOL oy….you poor guy….you have no idea what you are talking about….And by the way, Moses is our guy….not yours.
Kalim Ullah It's a paradise here because Israel is a world center of technology. You are probably using something that was invited/developed here in Israel. So, I suggest that you get rid of: your computer and your cell phone.
invented – I meant to say.
Kalim Ullah And did you know that in your Quran it says that the Land of Israel belongs to the Jewish people? I bet you didn't know that.
Israel is the only country in the middle east where Arabs enjoy religious freedom. Come visit Jerusalem and see every 5 feet arab women taking driving lessons! They all live better in Israel than in any arab country and they know it. If our promised land is hell what do you call Syria? Hell's Sewer? Go ask all the refugees in Syria running for their lives how great the freedom in their wonderful koranadanadingdong kingdom is.
And – don't forget to mention – that the Druze students from Israel who have been studying in Syria are begging to be able to come back to Israel where they live.
u have cursed from the prophet Moses (peace be upon him)..deviated by his right religion & following satanic path..u people also troubled Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him)..don;t worry..He (Jesus) is coming back soon to vanish you people…
Wow Kalim – that was really coherent, for an inbred desert monkey.
just wait u swine..
Durkah Durkah Mohammed Jihad
la'anati yahoodi..dozakh mei hamesha rahne wale..
you first jamil
holocaust was biggest lie..Iran is ready flushed u off..countdown started..
والشعب اليهودي الفوز دائما. ويرأس لإيران في الربيع العربي. مشاهدة وتعلم أنت تؤخر.
tum logon ka thikana dozakh hai..holocaust ki tarh hi tum log ka hasr hone wala hai..iran is sending missile in ur ass..tayyar ho jaao..
No word in arabic for holocaust? Do you deny the existence of the word as well?
hehe
but holocaust is big jock sung by jewish people..
اسرائيل سوف ترسل السواك عصا حتى مؤخرتك.
LOL LOL LOL
Dan Neuman I really feel sorry for him, though. He has been lied to and brainwashed. It must be terrible going around with so much hatred inside.
ur munich torch is showing the how much hatred u hv inside…
Hey Kalim were you born stupid or wake up every day and work real hard at being stupid. You say Israel is backed by devil USA, first as one who lived in Detroit Michigan USA I can't even begin to tell you how many of you arab muslims have moved to the USA to take jobs and live there almost completely taking over Dearborn Mi. If we are the devil why do so many of you move here, also you don't think the muslim arab countries receive aid from the US along with you getting rich off of us buying your oil.
Isn't Kalimullah one of the Arabic titles for Moses? Ya ablah, shu 7araam inte. Making idiotic anti-semitic statements is (a) not helpful, and (b) makes things harder for Arabs and Muslims who aren't Jew-hating morons like you.
Lakum deenikum wa-li deeni and turn off the effing speakers.
blah, blah, blah! I read the end of the Book and know what really happens.
Kalim Ullah Your knowledge of Moses and of Moshiach is flawed. The books of Moses promise that when Moshiach comes, Whoever He is, He will be here to save Am Yisrael from, well, people like you.
this is really ridiculous..israeli now proved to be satanic people..time is coming to vanish from the world map..ALLAH AKBAR.
LOL LOL LOL You're funny. Alachu Achbar you mean. You need that gutteral Nazi sound
holocaust is biggest lie..u people framed good story..Iran will wiped out u people..
No…you're the ridiculous one. You have been brainwashed…free yourself from your hatred. You'll feel so much better. And then come and visit Israel! You'll be amazed to see Muslim women free to wear what they want…and they even drive here (gasp!). And they are working in shops where Jews and Arabs go shopping. And they are teachers and doctors and nurses working together with Jewish teachers and doctors and nurses. I really feel sorry for you to hold such hatred inside of you.
Kalim Ullah I repeat….you have been lied to and brainwashed into hatred. If you think you are intelligent, why don't you do your own research on the Internet. Or do you really enjoy having so much hatred inside of you? If must feel awful to be living with such hatred.
i appreciate your effort..it is nothing new but that type of example was given by Hazrat Umar & Saladin when they they came to Palestine..they never touched you people n ur synogogues..just remeber the sack at the time romans & previous empires..how they ruined u..but we never disgrace you..but now you guys are making life hell of gazans & other palestinians..illegal settlers are murdering the villagers..ur armies standing over there..u forgot ur days whe Bani israel was in egypt under regine of Pharohs..u people are doing same thing with palestinians
Kalimullah, sometimes, well-chosen silence is better than ill-chosen words as you are offering right now. All you are doing is allowing people like Chaiya Eitan to jump in the gutter as well with his "Nazi" refrain and you are helping to create a bad name for other Muslims.
Let it go, this is Ramadan, not a time for hate.
Kalim I don't understand your hatred. I have know many people who live in Israel and all they want is peace. They want their children to grow up and not be hurt and they don't want to hurt anyone else. Why can't you just let jewish people live. If the holocaust was a lie than I guess targeting Muslims in the former Yugoslavia is also a lie.
Kalim – there were no 'palestinians' there at the time. Do you even know where the name 'Palestine' came from?? Rewriting history will not change one fact. Jeff Siddiqui – I am a 'she.' Really? This is Ramadan? No time for hate? Tell that to the Syrian regime who is slaughtering its own people, Ramadan notwithstanding.
Kalim – there were no 'palestinians' there at the time. Do you even know where the name 'Palestine' came from?? Rewriting history will not change one fact. Jeff Siddiqui – I am a 'she.' Really? This is Ramadan? No time for hate? Tell that to the Syrian regime who is slaughtering its own people, Ramadan notwithstanding.
I maybe niece but a person who is willing to pray to God, doesn't need ear piercing noise to bring them to pray. Pray anywhere, anytime without all the noise, then everyone is happy.