Call to Prayer for Any Religion

The country of my current residence, a country that claims democracy, is divided into Christian and Islamic regions. Living in both regions has allowed a certain observation, politically correct or not. In the Christian region of the country religion is not an issue. Churches, mosques and temples all live harmoniously together. In the Islamic region, this is not true. In this particular city there is a large mosque and a cathedral. The mosque not only issues call to prayer at the requisite times during the day, it also broadcasts the prayers themselves (and is loud enough to be heard even when sitting before a very loud stereo). It goes on for what seems like hours although it is most likely only 45 minutes or so at a time. The cathedral on the other hand is not even able to ring its bell for call to services on Sundays. This is appalling. All, regardless of religious affiliation, are subjected to the drone of Islamic prayer day in and day out and yet other religions are not granted the opportunity to call their own to weekly services, let alone bombard all others with their prayers. There have been mosques in other countries that have no pretense to democracy. Those mosques also put out a call to prayer and churches in those countries ring a call to services with bells. Neither was intrusive or off-putting but merely a beautiful reminder of faith in many forms. Here, the intrusion is overwhelming, creates anger and is even a bit intimidating when the realization that no other religions are able to perform their own version of call to prayer. Religion is an issue over which the world is at war. As with Catholics and the Crusades (a period which is embarrassing for this Catholic, even if seen in context and not through the eyes of modern-day revisionists), Islam is fighting to rule the world and exterminate all other religions and those who believe in them. History is doomed to be repeated by those who ignore (or revise) it. Islam, or to be fair, radical Islam is doing just that. Does the lesson of Christianity during the Crusades not teach anyone that religion cannot be crammed down the throats of others? Believers will fight for their right to freely practice their religion. Governments cannot be run on the basis of religious principles because men (humankind, for political correctness) continue to review the principles of faith and make changes accordingly (hence different Islamic sects, different denominations of Christianity, Judaism, etc.). These shifting views are not compatible with the governance of a country. The values, or rather laws, of government must remain static, or at least not be as easily changeable. Being bombarded with prayer is not just off-putting but creates dislike for the religion imposing itself. Religion, or even the lack of religion, cannot be forced upon others. What beauty could be found in the call to prayer of another religion becomes lost forever in the arrogance of the lack of recognition for the need for others to hear their own call to prayer.