In a bizarre incident, the Italian resistance song “Bella Ciao” was broadcast from several mosque minarets in Turkey’s western province of İzmir on May 20 leaving the local Turks shocked.
According to the reports, on Wednesday, several residents in İzmir’s Konak, Karsıyaka, Cigli and Buca districts were bewildered by the unexpected “call for prayer” after they heard “Bella Ciao” from the minarets of mosques in their respective cities.
Bella Ciao is an Italian protest folk song which was altered and adopted as an anthem of resistance by the Italian partisans during World War II.
A public funded website behind the incident
Reportedly, a website named ‘Ekşisözlük’ is alleged to be behind the incident. The website built by user contribution had even opened entry for this incident under the name of “The broadcast of Bella Ciao in İzmir mosques on May 20, 2020.”
Meanwhile, some social media users also claimed that the incident could perhaps a political action after the Turkish version of the song voiced by the Turkish protest music band Grup Yorum was broadcast across mosques in Turkish cities. Others alleged that the incident as a provocation, citing the holy month of Ramadan.
President of Religious Affairs Ali Erbaş said that “the incident in the holy month of Ramadan hurt all Muslims” and that they would “pursue the matter until the end.”
Two arrested for allegedly infiltrating central audio system
The Turkish police have arrested two people for broadcasting “Bella Ciao” song from several mosques in İzmir. The prosecutors in İzmir have also launched a criminal investigation against people for infiltrating the central audio system of these mosques.
Reportedly, several mosques across Turkey have been reciting a chapter of the Quran and every day since March to “boost morale” during the coronavirus pandemic.
