NEW DELHI, July 5 -- Saudi Arabia has come forward recently applying a whip on the 'loud-speaking mosques' of the country. As per Abdullatif al-Sheikh, Minister of Islamic Affairs, "the speakers should be set at no more than one-third of their maximum volume".
Further, "if mosques fail to implement the order, it might lead to the imposition of a penalty". Further still, 'the mosques can use loudspeakers only for Azan (call to prayer) and the Iqamat (second call for communal prayer) and not for broadcasting full sermons'.
The restriction was imposed at the rear of serious complaints from the citizens about excessive noise from the mosques that was "disturbing children and the elderly". Besides, "those who want to pray do not need to wait ...