17 Kerala mosques opt for unified azaan to fight noise pollution

Instead of all the mosques reciting the azaan 5 times a day separately, a single mosque will do so

Amid the controversy around noise pollution generated by religious institutions, a group of 17 mosques in Malappuram in Kerala has decided to set an example for the rest of the community by having a unified 'azaan' — the Muslim call to prayer recited five times a day, the Newsminute reported on Wednesday.

According to the agreement signed by committee members of the mosques, Valiya Juma Masjid, the biggest mosque out of the 17, will use the loudspeaker to call out the azaan for the customary five times a day and the rest of the mosques will follow without the loudspeakers, the report added.

Vazhakkad Mosques Committee President TP Abdul Azeez told the Newsminute that the call for prayer by mosques in the area at different times, multiple times in the day, had caused inconvenience to a lot of people.

"Some of the mosque committee members had convened a meeting to discuss the issue. The majority held the view that we should curb sound pollution. The decision was reached after several rounds of deliberations, but it was unanimous,” Azeez told the news organisation.

For the past six days, the mosques have been practicing this new rule.

The use of loudspeakers for all other religious purposes will also be stopped, according to the agreement, the report added.

A five-member panel has also been constituted to unify the timing of the azaan of all the mosques. According to a Hindustan Times report on the same issue, the panel will also consult the chief qazi of Kozhikode in order to find acceptance for the move in the religious context.

According to the national daily, the residents have welcomed this socially-progressive step. “Valiya Juma Masjid has set an example. It will go a long way in curbing the mindless use of ear-splitting speakers. Now, political parties will have to follow suit,” a resident of the area told the national daily.