Earlier this week, the hashtag “Respect gay rights” went viral in Arabic and provoked a storm of controversy in the Arabic-speaking world. What apparently started as an effort to promote tolerance and acceptance descended into chaos as Twitter users, many from Saudi Arabia, expressed their revulsion and hatred for the LGBT movement.
Now a new trend is going viral, calling for the use of loudspeakers at mosques to be halted. Throughout the Islamic world, mosques call for worshipers to pray five times a day using loudspeakers. The sound often drowns out the hustle and bustle of city life, and while many people—including tourists—enjoy hearing it, there appears to be some who don’t.
The hashtag #اوقفوا_مكبرات_صوت_المساجد meaning “Stop the loudspeakers of mosques, is currently going viral in Arabic, and of course not everyone is too happy about it.
Some have expressed their desire for the sound to stop as it disturbs their sleep in the morning, while others have even gone as far as citing certain religious rulings which apparently forbid the use of loudspeakers.
See some of the comments on the issue below, via Twitter.
Some complained that the noise disrupted their studying and forced them to stay indoors.
جنبنا مسجدين نبغا ننزل الحوش م نقدر من الصراخ الي من كل جهة،نبغا نذاكر برضو م نقدر لازم نقفل الشبابيك ونشغل تكييف#اوقفوا_مكبرات_صوت_المساجد
— Heba Al.Bakri (@HebaBakri1) February 9, 2016
We have two mosques in the area I live in and we can’t go out to the yard due to noise, we can’t even study and we have always to close windows and use AC.
One person even cited a non-binding religious ruling—a fatwa—which declared loudspeakers as forbidden.
رابط فتوى الشيخ ابن عثيمين التي ينهى فيها عن استعمال مكبرات الصوت للصلاة، وذكر سبع محاذير حولها.#اوقفوا_مكبرات_صوت_المساجد
— حازم السند (@HazemAlsanad) February 9, 2016
A fatwa by Sheikh Ibn Othaimein forbids the use of loudspeakers in mosques. He warned of 7 reasons why we shouldn't be using them.
Others consider the sound to be "uncivilized."
نادرا ان نرى هاشتاق إيجابي. نعم أوقفوا هذا النشاز فهي ظاهرة غير حضارية بل متخلفة ومزعجة. #اوقفوا_مكبرات_صوت_المساجد
— Salah Toukan (@stoukan) February 9, 2016
Rarely do I see a positive hashtag. Yes, stop this noise, it is uncivilized, undeveloped and troublesome.
But—as was the case with the LGBT rights hashtag—the tone quickly changed, and Twitter users began denouncing the demands for a halt on the use of loudspeakers.
i've never seen something more disgusting than this hashtag, no muslim should ever say this #اوقفوا_مكبرات_صوت_المساجد
— houda,. (@avonsstalker) February 8, 2016
#اوقفوا_مكبرات_صوت_المساجد that's disgusting how can any Muslim say that
— HasAbulrahman (@KILLINIT75) February 8, 2016
#اوقفوا_مكبرات_صوت_المساجد
— Bro Al-sufi (@AAlsoufi) February 8, 2016
اجمل شعور بالحياة وانت نائم تستيقظ تلقائيآ بمجرد سماعك اذان الفجر بفضل هذه المكبرات وبدون منبهات نعمة عظيمة
The best feeling in life is when you are asleep and you wake up spontaneously to the sound of "adan al fajr" because of the loudspeakers, without setting an alarm. Such a great blessing.
#اوقفوا_مكبرات_صوت_المساجد نوقفها ؟؟
— فواز_أهلاوي (@fawwaz_hff0) February 10, 2016
أليست خير مذكّر بالله عندما نغفل في زحام الحياة ونضيع في مشاغل الدنيا ؟؟
Stop it? Isn't this something good that reminds us about God while we are too busy and we get lost in our stressful lives?
