Last year, I wrote about potential plans to create a unified adhan in Cairo.  At present, every little store front masjid blasts their own call to prayer, often distorted by cheap sound systems turned all the way up.  It looks like the plan is still in the works.

The official was cagey at first, refusing to be drawn on whether the plan was going ahead or had been suspended, and refusing to give an ETA for the mythical unified adhan.

But then he relented and said, revealingly: “I’ll tell you something, one day you’ll find us, without media coverage… you’ll find (a unified) ‘Allahu akbar’ from the minarets.”

A year later, I still give this proposal 2 thumbs down.  There are a million things more annoying than the adhan – the pollution, the garbage everywhere, the weddings that go all night, the God awful traffic. 

Seriously, just take away everyone’s sound system and make them do it the old fashion way.   The sound of the human voice calling the faithful to prayer, – natural, unadulterated, not distorted by mikes and steroes – it is a beautiful thing.