Controversy Trails Saudi Arabia Directive Asking Mosques To Reduce Speakers’ Volume

• “Those who want to pray do not need to wait for … the imam’s” call to prayer,”

The directive of Saudi Arabia authorities asking mosques to limit volumes of loudspeakers to levels not disturbing to certain persons has sparked uproar.

Last week, Abdullatif al-Sheikh, the country’s Islamic affairs minister, directed that speakers in mosques should be go beyond more than one-third of their maximum decibel.

The minister said the directive became imperative in light of public complaint that the noise from the speakers make children and elderly persons uncomfortable.

The decision sparked mixed reactions in the country, as some were against the directive, while others supported it.

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Those who were against the order demanded that the ban should be replicated in restaurants and cafes.

Amid the controversy, on Monday, al-Sheikh defended the decision, noting that those who want to pray should not wait for the Imam’s call.

He described those who are against the directive as “enemies of the kingdom”, who want to stir public opinion.

“Those who want to pray do not need to wait for … the imam’s” call to prayer,” al-Sheikh was quoted by Aljazeera.

“They should be at the mosque beforehand.”

This is not the first time Saudi Arabia will issue a contentious directive that seek change age-long practices, especially those relating to Islamic doctrines.

In 2020, it announced the relaxation of certain laws to allow unmarried couples to cohabitate and on the use of alcohol.