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Friday, December 21, 2007

Religious and noise pollution,any solution?

Religious is one thing that I normally will avoid to touch. However, this is a bit different.
I live near to a mosque for over 25 years. So I assume myself immune to the 5.30am morning call. Three years ago, the new mosque, which is about 4 times larger than the old mosque, is built on a previously children playground. The old mosque which accordingly the second oldest mosque has been renovated and reburbished. Whether it is a government plan to make it a tourist attraction is unknowned. What I noticed is the loudapeaker of the mosque produce a much higher decibels than before. It was shocking loud when I first heard it. Then i slowly get used to it.
On this Thursday morning, supposed a one minutes pray has extended to 3 hours. Although I knew i was a big day for Muslims, but suffer a 3 hours noise pollution with high decibels is just annoying. Mind you, times by times, there will be religious seminar in the mosque that I can listen very clearly through loudspeakers.
Here come a question, if I respect muslims has the right to pray 5 times, the mosque can use high decibels loudspeakers, who will respect the non muslims has the right as well to get rid of the noise pollution especially the morning prayer at 5am to 6 am?
Due to this I have made soem searching in google.
I found that some country such as India has a law regulation to control the loudspeakers to a under 65 decibels during 10 pm to 6am.
Islamic Voice
Indonesian opinion
UK opinion

I used to remembered there is a quarral in somewhere around PJ (forgive me as I can not recall clearly) because of a chinese funeral that generate noise at night. On the night before funeral, monks will pray for the person that passed away before the body is buried. Due to this customs, it will generate some noise at the night. And that quarral that published in the newspaper is another ethnics that don't understand the culture.
However, just the same case as the mosque, we are not living in a same village with all the same ethnics anymore.Time is changing.It is not the same now especially in a city like Kuala Lumpur.
Your neighbours could be Malay, chinese, Indian, Indonesian, Vietnamese or even an expatriate from Europe. Right, we should respect other culture, but in this society which is more complex and complicated, it is important that you don't disturb others while you practice your culture or minimised the disturbance.
It would be a better living place if 10pm to 6am any noise that produce must be in a acceptable level as this is the rest time for most of us. Some practice in the old days must be adjusted to the current lifestyles.
P/S: I respect all the religious, no offence to Muslims but truth is truth.I welcome you to examine the whether the loudspeakers is really too loud. The mosque is in Jalan Pahang.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...
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Jason said...

May be this is new to you, but noise oulltion from mosque, church and etc is not new. Broaden the view yourself. Do you need loudspeaker at 90decibels or 90dB on 6am with other races of residents is there. You may be lucky one, but I beleive many that live near the mosque will have the same question. I mean a law regulations that allow no more than 65dB for your religious practice, not forbidden it.Guys, try to understand it. And the the environment in city like Kuala Lumpur is different now. It is modern era now, tehre is no one races concentrate in one area anymore. Respect other should be included not to disturb others.