Man wins rare victory against mosque
2013-02-25 17:41
Banda Aceh - An elderly Indonesian said on Monday he had
won a rare victory against a noisy mosque, despite being forced to withdraw
legal action after an angry mob threatened to kill him.
Complaints against the loud speakers issuing the call to
prayer have been met with extreme opposition in Indonesia, the world's biggest
Muslim-majority nation that is home to about 800 000 mosques.
And when Sayed Hasan, 75, filed a lawsuit in December in
the city of Banda Aceh, in which he complained of being disturbed by lengthy
recordings of Qur’anic verses, it was met with strong protests from the
community.
But Hasan, a Muslim, said despite being taken to see the
deputy mayor and Muslim leaders, and then being escorted to the court where he
was forced to withdraw his legal suit, he had ultimately won a rare victory.
"I was forced to withdraw my lawsuit as an angry mob
threatened to kill me," he said.
"But after I dropped my case, the volume was
significantly turned down by about half."
A local Muslim leader said the imam had decided to reduce
the noise.
City dwellers in Indonesia are often woken up before dawn
by intermingling calls to prayer from three or four nearby mosques.
Many also blare Qur’anic verses or broadcast day-long
events through loudspeakers.
Ninety percent of Indonesia's 240 million citizens are
Muslim.
While most practise a moderate form, Aceh province has
implemented Sharia law, which is enforced by special Islamic police.