The Jakarta Globe:
A 75-year-old man in Aceh has filed a controversial lawsuit against local religious officials alleging that the noise from a nearby mosque’s six loudspeakers has negatively impacted his life.
Sayed Hassan originally filed the lawsuit against the Al Muchlisin mosque, the Aceh Religious Affairs office, Ulema Consultative Assembly (MPU) Aceh, Islamic Sharia Agency, and the Gampong Jawa village chief in December of 2012, according to Tempo.co.
LISTEN TO CALL FOR PRAYER ROUND THE WORLD
Sayed claimed that the Al Muchlisin mosque, which is located 100 meters from his home in Gampong Jawa village, Banda Aceh, began broadcasting sermons from Baiturrahman radio twenty minutes before morning and evening prayers.
He reportedly asked the Imam to turn the volume down, but he refused. Sayed responded with the lawsuit.
Categories: Asia, Indonesia, Law, Law and Religion, Mosque
Amplified Azan has been banned in the past in some Muslim countries as well. For example Azerbaijan banned the amplified Azan in 2009.
Read the latest about Azan in Azerbaijan:
After 20 years first Azan sounded on Azerbaijan-Armenia contact line
http://en.apa.az/news_after_20_years_first_azan_sounded_on_aze_188353.html
The Azaan should be a mild call for prayers. There should be no sound outside the mosque for any other purpose. All lectures, sermons should be heard on the loudspeakers inside the mosque only. The outside loudspeakers must be switched off.
I mean it. There is no need to use the Azaan as a shake up routine. The timing for prayers should be announced and informed. Every one has got watches now-a-days. They can come to the mosque at the correct time. There is no need to send any high level sound in villages and cities.
Similarly, there is no need to give any lecture outside the mosque. The sermon should only be heard inside the mosque.
This must be practiced in every country. If such method is not followed, azaan on loudspeakers will be fully banned in non-Muslim countries. Already there is a ban on the minarets. Muslims should have sense of decency and must behave themselves.
I live in Amman, Jordan. One thing I enjoy most of all here is the Azan, call to prayers, 5 times a day. It can be heard (almost) all over town. If you are not just living next to a mosque it is not excessively loud. Personally I would not mind to live next to the mosque. I need to get up for prayers and what better way can there be but the call to prayers!!! No, I do not agree that the Azan should only be heard inside the Mosque. Hadhrat Bilal would not have climbed the walls of the Mosque and gone to the roof if the call should have been heard only inside the Mosque. (but as far as lectures go I agree that these are meant for the persons inside the mosque and then the outside loudspeakers should be switched off).
Listening to Azan in the early hours of morning is such a serene experience which I can only appreciate whenever I return to Pakistan.
And also that how much we miss in Canada!
by the way in Saudi Arabia last Ramadan it was announced that loudspeakers should not be relaying Tarawee prayers outside of the mosques. Azan, yes, but nothing else.