London Sound Installation Uses Islamic Call to Prayer to Challenge Islamophobia

London Sound Installation Uses Islamic Call to Prayer to Challenge Islamophobia
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A sound installation titled Cosmic Breath by artist and composer Joe Namy is being presented at Ibraaz’s Musalla space near Oxford Street in London, bringing together recordings of the Muslim call to prayer, or adhan, from different regions and historical periods.

The installation features multiple horn-shaped speakers playing diverse calls to prayer, highlighting the richness of Muslim traditions. Namy says the work takes on particular significance amid concerns about rising Islamophobia, xenophobia and prejudice in Britain, offering visitors a space for reflection, spirituality and cultural understanding.

The project was originally commissioned for the 2023 Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah. Its development was also inspired by an interfaith solidarity initiative in Durban, South Africa, in 2020, when members of the Hindu community used their car radios to broadcast the adhan in support of Muslims facing restrictions on public calls to prayer.