Muezzin muscled out: Israel mosque fires bodybuilder
IBR A HIM Masr i ha s been ca lling Muslims to prayer for nearly 15 years in an Israeli cit y but his voice is now being silenced because he took part in a bodybuilding contest.
Israel’s interior ministr y is st r ippi ng hi m of his role as ch ief muezzi n of El-Ja z z a r mosque in the northern cit y of Acre after having ruled that his participation in t he 2017 competition was “incompatible” wit h his relig ious role.
Muezzins ca l l Muslims to pr a y e r f i v e t i mes a d a y t hrough loudspea kers, wit h the most renowned famed for t heir voice.
The 46-year-old Masri has been lifting weights since he was young and is well known in Acre. He has never seen a cont rad ic t ion bet ween h is sport and his religion.
“This is an unjust decision,” he said. “The religion of Islam encourages any indiv idua l to practice sport.”
A ministr y spokesman said he had been f i red over his inappropriate dress.
Bodybuilders typically wear brief trunks during competit ions a nd Masr i has many photos in such attire.
Masr i, who ha s bu lg i ng a r ms a nd weig h s a rou nd 105kg, is a member of Israel’s Arab minority, who make up around 18 per cent of the Jewish state’s population.
In 2017, he took part in the Israel bodybuilding championships, winning in his category.
A few months later he was summoned to a committee of religious officia ls in northern Israel.
“They showed me the pictures of me part icipat ing in t he compet it ion, a nd t hey considered it was not appropriate for a muezzin to pract ice t his sport,” t he fat her-oft hree said.
They said his scant y clot hi ng was unacceptable for a relig ious f ig ure.
The interior ministr y oversees t he rel ig ious orga nisations of Christians, Muslims and other non-Jew ish minorit ies in Israel, and it has t he f i na l say over t he f u l l-t i me muezzin’s job.
Masri sa id he sent t hem a let t er apolog i si ng. “I told them I would not ta ke part in any more competitions.
“They knew I was involved in this sport before I was hired.”
But this month the ministry finally decided to dismiss him, and a spokesman he was fired effective this week.
“The employee appealed to the state service commission, which concluded that the ministr y’s conduct was f lawless and the firing was approved.”
‘No voice more beautiful’
El-Jazzar mosque in the Old Cit y of Acre is one of t he most beaut i f u l i n Israel, bui lt i n 1781.
The Mediterra nean cit y is considered a World Heritage Site, w it h it s repositor y of remains from the Crusades.
The mosque is named after the local Ottoman ruler at the time it was built and its design i n s p i r e d b y t h e f a me d mosques of Istanbul.
The muezzi n’s f i r i ng has caused a st i r a mong Acre’s Muslim majorit y.
“How ca n t hey sepa rate Ibra him f rom his work just because he took part in a competition? ” asked Wissam Zalafi, a guard at the mosque.
“We don’t have a not her muezzin with a voice as beaut if ul in a l l of Acre.”
Sheikh Mohammed Kiwan, the mosque’s head imam, or prayer leader, said Masri had not asked the administration before enter i ng t he bodybuilding competition.
“It is not permissible for him to expose his modesty in front of men, women and children.”
However, the imam said he was in favour of giving Masri a f ina l warning a nd agreed that he had a beautiful voice.
Masri worked out through- out his time as a muezzin and even helped open a club to train young people in Acre.
A mal K hat ib, 19, sa id t he club had helped him focus and to f ind a job.
Masri has f iled an appea l, which w i l l be hea rd nex t month, and has started a petition by loca l supporters.
Jaber Mushahee, an 80-yearold who prays at El-Ja z za r, said the decision would damage the mosque.
“I’ve made umra and there is no voice a ny where more be aut i f u l t ha n h i s ,” s a id Musha hee, refer r i ng to t he mini-pi lg r i mage to Mecca.