Radio Muezzin: a unique theatrical play
July 14, 2009 by Anna
The Greek society had a great chance to attend the theatrical play “Radio Muezzin“, sponsored by “Greek Festival”. It was a play balancing between theater and a documentary, where five muezzins 
from Egypt unfolded their personal life stories in a simple narrative way.
Through the use of the images, they showed the viewers their mosque, their neighborhood, their house, their family and significant moments in their lives. With their melodic voices, they took the crowd to a journey through the sound of Islam, of the prayer and Qur’an plainly with no excess. They explained this nature of their task humbly and directly.
They made important comments that in a country like Greece the call for prayer is not allowed, but also that Athens is a city without a mosque and a cemetery for the Muslims.
They spoke about the recent decision of the Egyptian State, where the athan, the call for prayer, will be broadcasted live through a radio frequency at the thousands mosques of Cairo, from only one voice per day. In fact they have already chosen the 30 best muezzins (moadhinin), one of those was Mohammed Ali who presented his story at “Radio Muezzin”.
The public filled the theatre of Pireos 260 on both days of the play and applauded with warmth respectfully to the “protagonists”. Many famous people of art and culture watched the play as I saw.
Personally, I was impressed by the advanced artistic aestheticism and at the same time the warm and direct presence of the muezzins who did not pretend. On the contrary, they showed every spectator the images of their lives, that they are people with deep religious feeling that gave the simple view of Islam, Quran and prayer.
I was also impressed by the warm reaction of the public that enjoyed the play.
Congratulations to the director Stefan Kaegi – Rimini Protocoll and all contributors.
The play has already travelled through Europe and will continue to the famous festival d’ Avignon.
This events sounds fantastic. It would have been nice to attend!
You can imagine the significance of such an event on all the Greek Muslims, especially,as they do not have an official mosque and a cemetery. I am sure it will have brought tears to the eyes of some……..I wish I was there!