Turkey Translates Friday Sermon to Arabic Language

The Municipality of Istanbul placed, in front of Al-Fateh Mosque, a plaque inviting Arab worshipers to download the application “ibb simultane” on their phones to provide interpretation of the Friday sermon from Turkish language to Arabic language.

An image of the plaque, which was said to have been placed in front of a mosque in Istanbul, spread on social media. The plaque said that worshipers could connect their phones to the internet connection provided by the mosque. They also could ask the mosque’s staff for earphones to listen to the translated sermon.

More than three million Syrian refugees live in Turkey, about half a million of whom live in Istanbul. They have many difficulties learning Turkish and are often absent from attending Friday sermons due to lack of understanding.

“Enab Baladi” could not make sure whether this service is available in all mosques of the city, or only in Al Fateh Mosque, which attracts a large number of Syrians living in the region.

Some pages have been created on social media to provide translated Friday sermons, such as the “Arabic Friday sermon in Turkey”, but translated sermons are often published on Saturday.

Image source: Wikipedia