Woman Removed From Florida Meeting After Playing Islamic Call to Prayer
The incident occurred during a public hearing on a proposed mosque expansion in Pinellas County.
A woman was escorted from a Pinellas County, Florida, community meeting after she played the Islamic call to prayer, known as the Adhan, over a microphone instead of making a verbal statement. The woman, who identified herself as Celine Al Jamal, was removed from the meeting on Tuesday after refusing to stop the recording.
The meeting was held to discuss the expansion of Masjid Al Rahman, a local mosque. During the public testimony period, Al Jamal approached the podium, dressed in a burka that concealed her face except for her left eye, and played the recording.
Board Chairman Dave Eggers repeatedly asked her to stop the recording, reminding her that the public comment period was intended for individuals to address commissioners directly. When she did not comply, Eggers ordered officials to escort her from the room.
Audience members reacted with a mix of applause and heckling as she was removed. Eggers appealed for calm, stating, "Please. Just please exercise some decorum and kindness of your own. We’re all people living together here." He clarified that taped recordings were not permitted during public comments.
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Al Jamal was escorted from the premises without further incident and would not face criminal charges.
The discussion around the mosque's expansion has been contentious. The commission had previously voted 4-3 to approve a land-use amendment for Masjid Al Rahman, which has operated from a home since the 1990s and sought to demolish the existing structure for a larger facility.
Some residents raised concerns about the project, including questions about the wording of zoning documents and the description of the facility. Others voiced opposition based on views about women's rights in Muslim-majority countries, with one person stating, "Islam is not good for women’s rights."
Conversely, supporters of the expansion spoke in favor of the mosque, with one woman noting, "We have no problems with them. We've been their neighbors for many years."