MUMBAI: One of the attributes of ‘azaan’ is that it summons the faithful to peace and tranquility. Ironically, ‘azaan’ through loudspeakers has become a cause of concern and is being objected to from some quarters. So much so that Navi Mumbai resident Santosh Pachalag petitioned the Bombay High Court against “illegal use of loudspeakers” by mosques in his area. An RTI plea had found that 45 of 49 mosques in the area didn’t have permission to use loudspeakers. Acting on the petition, the Bombay High Court directed the police last week to remove “illegal” loudspeakers from mosques. Many in the community have welcomed the verdict. They say in many mosques the use of loudspeakers defeats the purpose for which the muezzins call out to the faithful five times a day.

For long many mosques, in violation of the Noise Pollution (Control and Regulation) Rules, 2000 have used loudspeakers much above the permissible decibel levels (50dB during day and 40 dB at night for silence zone and 55 dB during day and 45dB at night for residential area). Now many community leaders and activists demand that mosques should reduce the noise level or face the music. “Azaan is mandatory to namaz, not the use of loudspeakers. Azaan should be sonorous and easy on the ears. If loudspeakers are inconveniencing fellow citizens, I would say the mosques should remove them before the police take action,” says senior community leader Dr M A Patankar who, like many others, feel disturbed by the noise from illegal loudspeakers atop some mosques.

Activist Saeed Khan has closely observed the increasing levels of noise from loudspeakers atop mosque minarets. He says the Saboo Siddique Hospital in Dongri is a classic example. Situated between Masjid-e-Iranian or Mughal Mosque (a Shia place of worship) and a Sunni Masjid, Saboo Siddique Hospital and a nearby municipal school (both fall in the silence zone) have to endure the long, high-decibel azaans every day. “Normally an azaan should last two to three minutes, but here the muezzins at both the mosques give azaans which last longer. It is competitive religiosity and both groups try to outdo one another in proving their respective superiority,” says Khan. Ali Namazi, honorary secretary of Mughal Mosque’s Trust, denies that his mosque is in any competition but admits that during the recently-concluded Ramzan festivities the loudspeaker volumes were “really high”. “I ensured that the volume is reduced as it was inconveniencing many residents. We don’t allow anything which creates problem for the citizens,” claims Namazi.

Khan complains that at many Sunni mosques the practice of reciting “salam” (devotional verses in praise of the Prophet) after the fajr (morning) prayer causes “pain” to many people. “I have no problem if the salam is recited by those who are praying inside the mosque. Why should it be amplified to disturb those who are sleeping in the morning?” asks Khan. “If Muslims have the right to give azaan, non-Muslims have the right to sleep peacefully.”

The verdict has awakened many community members from their “sleep.” In New Mumbai, under the banner of Muslim Ekta Forum, community members have decided to approach the court against the rule that says that loudspeakers should not be used between 10pm and 6am. “Our morning namaz is held around 5am. We are planning to challenge this rule and want exemption for it. We have told the mosques’ managements to follow the rules,” says the Forum’s president, Ali M Shamsi.

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