The guardians of multiculturalism and diversity never foresaw this. They assumed that all the resistance to the call to prayer would come from native German “Islamophobes.” 

“Debate in the Domforum: Muezzin call in Cologne-Ehrenfeld causes discussion,” translated from “Debatte im Domforum: Muezzinruf in Köln-Ehrenfeld sorgt für Diskussionen,” by Ulrike Weinert, Kölnische Rundschau, November 24, 2021:

The surprise was great when the administration announced on October 7th that mosque congregations would be allowed to broadcast the call for Friday prayers in the future. “When we hear the call of the muezzin in addition to the church bells in our city, it shows that diversity is valued and lived in Cologne,” explained Mayor Henriette Reker. 

This kicked off a debate that the Catholic Education Agency, the Melanchthon Academy and the Catholic Committee now took as an opportunity for an open discussion in the Cathedral Forum.

Actually, everything was quickly said after the professor of public law and religious law, Stefan Muckel, made it clear: “The muezzin call is a creed and is therefore protected by the Basic Law, which the state cannot easily restrict – whether you like it or not not.” Bettina Baum, who will soon head the Office for Integration and Diversity, added that the city could create the framework conditions to balance interests, for example to protect residents from excessive volume and at times that disturb sleep.

But the reference to the freedom of the mosque communities in Cologne did not calm the emotional debate. The former member of the Bundestag Lale Akgün claimed that most of the 2,000 or so communities in Germany were “more or less aligned with the politicized Islam of Turkey.” And they persecute dissenters such as the ex-Muslim Mina Ahadi, who had to be placed under police protection after a protest against the muezzin call in front of the Ditib mosque in Ehrenfeld.

Several visitors who had fled their Muslim countries spoke up. They said they had to listen to prayers while they were being tortured. They perceive muezzin calls as a reminder of the trauma.