Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —
Secretary General of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MULTI-FUNCTION) Amirsyah Tambunan regretted the news from foreign media stating that azan make noise.
He said this in response to a number of foreign media highlighting Jakartans who are afraid to complain about the sound of the call to prayer which is considered too noisy and disturbing comfort. One of them reported the news, AFP.
“It’s regrettable if there are parties who say that the call to prayer makes noise,” said Amirsyah in his statement, which was allowed to be quoted on Thursday (14/10).
Amirsyah assessed that AFP should not be able to conclude unilaterally if someone has trouble sleeping because of the noise from the call to prayer.
He then explained that there were already arrangements for mosque loudspeakers as conveyed by the Indonesian Mosque Council (DMI). DMI, he said, had arranged that mosque loudspeakers were asked to be played only 10 minutes before Fajr time.
“Mr. Jusuf Kalla as chairman of DMI has appealed to the mosque loudspeakers to be played 10 minutes before dawn,” he said.
Apart from that, Amirsyah also copied one of the explanations contained in the book ‘The Power of Azan’ by Teguh Sunaryo. It states that the book also explains about the miracles and benefits of the call to prayer.
He explained in the book that the call to prayer is a word of God in the form of a call and call from God through a muezzin to achieve victory through humility takbir.
“At the same time, the submission is only to Allah Almighty and affirms the commitment of martyrdom and sincerity of monotheism, while hastening to worship Allah by establishing prayers at the beginning of time,” he said.
It is known, AFP reported that one of the residents of Jakarta, Rina, not her real name, wakes up every 03.00 am due to loud loudspeakers from a mosque on the outskirts of Jakarta when the call to prayer is heard.
He has an anxiety disorder. Rina often can’t sleep, feels nauseous when she eats, but is afraid when she will express her complaint. Because, he judged if he said it would be imprisoned or attacked.
Complaints regarding the call to prayer in Indonesia are sensitive and can lead to accusations of blasphemy, a crime that carries a penalty of up to five years in prison.
“No one dares to complain about it, here,” said Rina.
Not only AFP, local French media, RFI, also reported the same thing. According to the report, complaints about loud speakers are increasing on social media.
(rzr / DAL)
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