Church bells and the Muslim call to prayer aren’t the same. Bells are wordless tones that ring once or twice a week in most places who still use them. The call to prayer is a verbal declaration of faith, broadcast FIVE TIMES PER DAY every day. One is a long standing cultural sound in America; the other is a spoken religious message from a different tradition. Saying they’re equal in practice or impact oversimplifies what’s actually going on. | Jeffery Mead