NEMA, please work on the noise
A complaint by B. Harvey (<i>The New Vision</i>, October 24, and <i>Sunday Monitor</i>, October 28, 2007) about the loud Muslim call to prayers (<i>Adhan</i>) from one Ntinda Mosque in the morning (5:00 –– 6:00am) must be taken seriously. The <i>Adhan</i> is not the only noise interrupting peopl
Harshim Mwenyi
A complaint by B. Harvey (The New Vision, October 24, and Sunday Monitor, October 28, 2007) about the loud Muslim call to prayers (Adhan) from one Ntinda Mosque in the morning (5:00 –– 6:00am) must be taken seriously. The Adhan is not the only noise interrupting people’s sleep in the night and early in the morning.
Other players in the business of polluting the environment with noise are: the Balokole churches and night clubs.
One time, the press reported that Gen. David Tinyefuza was forced to shift from his Kyengera home because of the alleged noise from the Mosque speakers during Adhan. Then a few days ago, a presenter on Dembe FM apologised for uttering some nasty words about Islam, her problem was the same – Adhan.
A friend in Seeta, Mukono who has a sick child had to call the Police patrol at 3:00am to save him from noise from a nearby Balokole church. Where I stay in Mbale, noise from a new Balokole church and a nearby night club are giving the residents and students of the Islamic University In Uganda sleepless nights. At the end of the day, all of us are victims. No meaningful development can take place in such an environment, where citizens are deprived of enough rest, hence failure to plan properly for the next day.
I believe the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) can give some guidance. But since the issue is sensitive, it can easily turn political. With a good approach, NEMA can work with the Muslim leaders to address this problem of external loud speaker use by mosques.
Islam looks at a neighbour as an important person. (Harvey not only claims to be a neighbour, but also a good neighbour). My view is that let Adhan be allowed since it takes less than two minutes, but subsequent preaching should be by internal speakers. There is no way one is going to ban Adhan from mosques because it is part of prayer clearly spelt out in the Holy Qur’an which if tampered with, will generate protest from Muslims.
‘I have hope Muslims can lead the way (Quran, Al – Imran: 110) playing their rightful role to solve the problem. With this step taken, neighbours like Harvey will be guaranteed a peaceful sleep.
The writer is a the President Gen. of the Society for Peace and Development Party) 0772449967
A complaint by B. Harvey (The New Vision, October 24, and Sunday Monitor, October 28, 2007) about the loud Muslim call to prayers (Adhan) from one Ntinda Mosque in the morning (5:00 –– 6:00am) must be taken seriously. The Adhan is not the only noise interrupting people’s sleep in the night and early in the morning.
Other players in the business of polluting the environment with noise are: the Balokole churches and night clubs.
One time, the press reported that Gen. David Tinyefuza was forced to shift from his Kyengera home because of the alleged noise from the Mosque speakers during Adhan. Then a few days ago, a presenter on Dembe FM apologised for uttering some nasty words about Islam, her problem was the same – Adhan.
A friend in Seeta, Mukono who has a sick child had to call the Police patrol at 3:00am to save him from noise from a nearby Balokole church. Where I stay in Mbale, noise from a new Balokole church and a nearby night club are giving the residents and students of the Islamic University In Uganda sleepless nights. At the end of the day, all of us are victims. No meaningful development can take place in such an environment, where citizens are deprived of enough rest, hence failure to plan properly for the next day.
I believe the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) can give some guidance. But since the issue is sensitive, it can easily turn political. With a good approach, NEMA can work with the Muslim leaders to address this problem of external loud speaker use by mosques.
Islam looks at a neighbour as an important person. (Harvey not only claims to be a neighbour, but also a good neighbour). My view is that let Adhan be allowed since it takes less than two minutes, but subsequent preaching should be by internal speakers. There is no way one is going to ban Adhan from mosques because it is part of prayer clearly spelt out in the Holy Qur’an which if tampered with, will generate protest from Muslims.
‘I have hope Muslims can lead the way (Quran, Al – Imran: 110) playing their rightful role to solve the problem. With this step taken, neighbours like Harvey will be guaranteed a peaceful sleep.
The writer is a the President Gen. of the Society for Peace and Development Party) 0772449967