Israel’s anti-athan bill allows police to storm mosques

Israeli MKs and minister have been working to introduce a new copy of what is known as the “Muezzin Bill” to give power to police to break into mosques to silence the Muslim call to prayer, Quds Press reported yesterday.

According to Israeli news website 0404, the new copy of the bill, which had preliminary Knesset approval in March 2017, is planned to be proposed to parliament soon.

The website said that a committee consisting of Interior Minister Gilad Erdan, Environment Minister Zeev Elkin and other MKs, including Moti Yogev who initiated the bill, have already laid down the terms of the new copy.

According to the Israeli website, the new amendments give addition power to Israel Police that enables officers to break into mosques in Israel and Jerusalem, confiscate loudspeakers and impose fines up to 10,000 shekels ($2,860) on those said to be violating the law.

Palestinians living in Israel, both Muslims and Christians, criticised the move as another step towards Judaising Jerusalem, eradicating the Arabic history of Palestine and supressing religious freedoms.

“It is an aggression on the Islamic rituals,” Sheikh Sulieman Satel, Imam of AlNuzha Mosque in Yaffa, said. “The real aim of this racist bill is not an attempt to reduce noise, but to silence the Muslim call to prayer… because those behind it hate Islam.” (Middle East Monitor)