Mosque loudspeakers

[centurion]

I think most people here would be totally fine with the five daily prayer calls. The frustration comes when mosque loudspeakers are used for other purposes (eg: sermons, announcements, neighborhood kids playing around, etc)

The people mentioned would be fine if these prayer calls are miles from them. But when the prayer calls are near them (or some other Muslim tradition-sacrifice of animals, often done publicly), and disturbing them personally, being loud, many of these tolerant, mostly educated people transformed the thread to a Foxnews comment section. They consider the local population basically primitive and barbaric.

Otherwise, most of them consider themselves very tolerant, open-minded. Just pointing to the hypocrisy of the human nature.

 

[Dave70]

Residential property near or beside or in front of the mosque is not easy to sell, and the price is usually lower, that's what I heard long ago when loudspeakers were not as loud as now (smaller wattage then).

 

[ChrisTex]

The main issue I have with the mosque loudspeakers is how a number of mosques come across as fighting to see who can be the loudest. At point, I think I counted at least 7 mosques near my apartment complex(driving by or seeing them from the balcony). Usually it was the early morning prayer(4-5amish) that I would hear more than that.

Friday prayer isn't too bad apart from the mosque right next to the complex where the person speaking sounds like he is angry or trying to start a rally.

 

[Nicho]

My 'favorite' is when they have a kid (I swear they're only 9 years old) screaming prayers through the loudspeaker...probably he/she did mom and dad proud. Ironically I had a worker/tukang came by my house many years ago in the early morning for a project...and when I opened the door he was smiling I said whatsup? He just smiled and said nothing pak...the church bell 'neng neng neng neng' was berisik....a bell that was 'noisy' for only 1 minute at 8AM vs loud prayer at 4 in the morning....but I didn't wanna argue with him on that...

Did mom/dad proud !! That kid would have had the crap belted out of it if it got so much as a word wrong ! All about the image . Same as when a child dies , the parents throw a 5 day party and invite every man and his dog trying to impress everyone with all the lavish decorations and food , live entertainment etc . Had neighbours sell there houses to put on a big party when a son comes of age / gets circumsized at about 12-13 . Poor bloody kids in bed in pain and all the adults are having a big piss up ! Then the family has to live in a shack . I've given up trying to understand there customs . ORA AGAMA / NON RELIGIUOS is my reply when anyone asks .

 

[fastpitch17]

Did mom/dad proud !! That kid would have had the crap belted out of it if it got so much as a word wrong ! All about the image . Same as when a child dies , the parents throw a 5 day party and invite every man and his dog trying to impress everyone with all the lavish decorations and food , live entertainment etc . Had neighbours sell there houses to put on a big party when a son comes of age / gets circumsized at about 12-13 . Poor bloody kids in bed in pain and all the adults are having a big piss up ! Then the family has to live in a shack . I've given up trying to understand there customs . ORA AGAMA / NON RELIGIUOS is my reply when anyone asks .

Funny. My wife tells me none of this existed up until she ran from here in the early 70s. She said there wasn't a hijab to be found except on some of the older women. It's all related. She finds things that she just doesn't understand more than I notice things. I chalk things us mostly as cultural customs and traditions and she disputes that most of the time.

 

[Nicho]

I have lived over 1 year in Cairo (80'), a few months in K.L., and some time in KSA and Dubai, and it wasn't the same as here in Indo. Very bearable. In Cairo in fact, living at the outskirts of the city and VERY close to a mosque, I found that the calls for prayers and the desert were a nice combination.

But guys, nobody forced you to live where you live.... I mean you choose it voluntarily (for whatever reason), so complaining about it is a bit odd IMO.
Personally I can bear it for 1 week, max 10 days when at the Missus village in Java, but no way I would bear with it "full time".
The bands on Mertasari Beach are much better as musical background !

Gotten worse here in S/East Java over the last few years . I travelled back and forth for 8 years , there were only 2 mosques in the village and they only did the prayer calls , 5am and 5pm which only lasted 5 minutes . The occasional jibber if something was happening which was fine . Moved up here permanently 6 years ago , there's now 4 mosques and 3 home "want to be mosques " in the village . They start at 3am and the volume builds as each one starts till about 3.30am , then it's just a shit fight seeing who can be heard over the other until about 7-8am . Might ease for an hour or two then there at it again on and off all day until 8-9pm at night along with the locals playing there music , sure there sterios only have one volume "MAX " then there all yelling and screaming to be heard over it all . Seems to get worse with each generation , no respect for anyone else . Fingers crossed this directive from the Head man will be implemented and inforced .

 

[Dharma Police]

Gotten worse here in S/East Java over the last few years . I travelled back and forth for 8 years , there were only 2 mosques in the village and they only did the prayer calls , 5am and 5pm which only lasted 5 minutes . The occasional jibber if something was happening which was fine . Moved up here permanently 6 years ago , there's now 4 mosques and 3 home "want to be mosques " in the village . They start at 3am and the volume builds as each one starts till about 3.30am , then it's just a shit fight seeing who can be heard over the other until about 7-8am . Might ease for an hour or two then there at it again on and off all day until 8-9pm at night along with the locals playing there music , sure there sterios only have one volume "MAX " then there all yelling and screaming to be heard over it all . Seems to get worse with each generation , no respect for anyone else . Fingers crossed this directive from the Head man will be implemented and inforced .

I'm so spoiled by our new, quiet apartment that I won't stay in a mall that has a loud event going on. I also refuse to join a gym because of the awful 200 BPM house music (with chipmunk vocals) they always play in them. Everyone has phones now. Let us listen to whatever we want using headphones!

No one respects peace and quiet here.

 

[Banana72]

I'm so spoiled by our new, quiet apartment that I won't stay in a mall that has a loud event going on. I also refuse to join a gym because of the awful 200 BPM house music (with chipmunk vocals) they always play in them. Everyone has phones now. Let us listen to whatever we want using headphones!

No one respects peace and quiet here.

Gotta say I was like you first year I got here, maybe two. I was always annoyed when going to malls with loud music (pretty much all of them) and 9 times out of 10 I usually asked the server to turn down the music when I enter any restaurant. Ten years later...I'm almost as deaf as most Jakartans now....loud music doesn't phase me anymore lol..(screaming rowdy kids...that's a whole 'nother story...).

 

[Dharma Police]

Gotta say I was like you first year I got here, maybe two. I was always annoyed when going to malls with loud music (pretty much all of them) and 9 times out of 10 I usually asked the server to turn down the music when I enter any restaurant. Ten years later...I'm almost as deaf as most Jakartans now....loud music doesn't phase me anymore lol..(screaming rowdy kids...that's a whole 'nother story...).

I did that once, at a gym. However after thinking back to when I worked retail or in a restaurant, I realize it's a way of having some semblance of fun at a mundane job.

I find it best to simply avoid the places that'll make me antsy. Malls and public gyms were never my favorite places anyway.

 

[Helpful Herbert]

A new attempt to limit the volume to 100Db and reduce the time for which they can angrily scream into the mic.

New Mosque Loudspeaker Guidelines

New guidelines have been issued in Indonesia for the use of loudspeakers by mosques. The Indonesian government is responding to complaints from religious mino

indonesiaexpat.id

 

[Helpful Herbert]

I have worked out the biggest mosque in my area is at around 120-125Db
(Decibels reduce by 6db for each doubling of distance).
I might start taking measurements and then submit them anonymously to the local authorities.

 

[Hawk256]

I have worked out the biggest mosque in my area is at around 120-125Db
(Decibels reduce by 6db for each doubling of distance).
I might start taking measurements and then submit them anonymously to the local authorities.

The Mosques loud speakers are louder than a rock concert or almost as loud as a jet engine or a stock car race? They must have some nice gear, especially if you are more than just a few meters away.

 

[Helpful Herbert]

Yes - some are unbelievably loud. Of course not all. However if the new regulations limit the volume to 100Db, then clearly there is a problem that they are much higher than that at the moment. A speaker that is 120Db when measured from 1 metre away, is down to about 75Db once you are 250 metres away. Unfortunately many people live within 20 metres of a mosque and have to suffer 95Db by the time it gets to their house. Maybe the house walls/windows reduce it to 90Db, but that is still enough to cause serious medical problems to the sick and elderly and also disruptions to sleep and daily life for everyone else.

An interesting aspect of this is that the religion minister Yaqut (who is actually a muslim himself) compared them to the sound of barking dogs, and certain radicals are now saying what he said is worse than Ahok

 

[dafluff]

A new attempt to limit the volume to 100Db and reduce the time for which they can angrily scream into the mic.

New Mosque Loudspeaker Guidelines

New guidelines have been issued in Indonesia for the use of loudspeakers by mosques. The Indonesian government is responding to complaints from religious mino

indonesiaexpat.id

This will not be respected, much less enforced, in any Muslim majority area in Indonesia. Just like the previous regulation from 1978. It is a circular from the Ministry of Religion, which does not have any enforcing mechanism. Even if it did, no hapless Satpol PP guy is going to risk his skin to ask a mosque to turn down their loudspeaker.

An interesting aspect of this is that the religion minister Yaqut (who is actually a muslim himself) compared them to the sound of barking dogs, and certain radicals are now saying what he said is worse than Ahok

The Minister of Religious Affairs (who is always Muslim), made such a clumsy comparison that his OWN party rebuked him.

 

[Nimbus]

Somebody needs a lesson in diplomacy. Dog’s saliva is considered unclean by Muslims, and ‘anjing’ is one of the worst Indonesian cuss words. I understand the point he’s trying to make, but there are better words he can use.

Many mosques in Indonesia use their loudspeakers as means of advertising. If your mosque is heard, people are more likely to visit on Friday, and you stand to collect more in donations. I remember a story from quite a while ago when the board of a neighborhood mosque got upset with a newly built mosque in a government complex nearby. They feared that the brand new shiny mosque was going to poach their congregation. Their loud speakers were turned to 11 just so people knew they were still there.

Mosques in relatively wealthy neighborhoods don’t need to be loud. Since board members have money and live nearby, they usually impress on the administration to not abuse the speakers, or they’ll be replaced. It’s usually the kampung mosques that are under pressure to compete.

 

[fastpitch17]

That is exactly what it seems to me, a competition. Problem is, there are so many mosque that they overlap each other with each being offset by seconds to minutes thus only creating unrecognizable noise. Loud noise.

As for wealthy not being loud. I lived in a well to do neighborhood when we lived in Jakarta. One of Megawati's houses right behind us. No mosque there but speakers on a tower that broadcast someone and they were defining.

There is a Mosque in the Panjang district in Bandar Lampung and I swear the volume makes me think they are trying to reach all the ships at sea.

 

[Nimbus]

That is exactly what it seems to me, a competition. Problem is, there are so many mosque that they overlap each other with each being offset by seconds to minutes thus only creating unrecognizable noise. Loud noise.

As for wealthy not being loud. I lived in a well to do neighborhood when we lived in Jakarta. One of Megawati's houses right behind us. No mosque there but speakers on a tower that broadcast someone and they were defining.

There is a Mosque in the Panjang district in Bandar Lampung and I swear the volume makes me think they are trying to reach all the ships at sea.

One way to make sure the voice of your mosque is not lost is by indirect competition. Stagger the call, do it before or after your rival. It means the loud noise is prolonged, but they don’t care.

 

[fastpitch17]

One way to make sure the voice of your mosque is not lost is by indirect competition. Stagger the call, do it before or after your rival. It means the loud noise is prolonged, but they don’t care.

Staggering it just prolongs the entire thing when 7 to 8 Mosque are all trying it which then just produces loud, longer noise. To make matters worse, 2 if the Mosque have kids doing it and they lose their places, can't actually pronouce the words, or keep their lips against the mic. Horible sound. One would think they would get decent training before someone handed them the mic. Guess not.

 

[Hawk256]

Yes - some are unbelievably loud.

Maybe the maker of the LRAD needs to get in touch with them. Their sound cannons are weak by your comparison. At 10 meters it is less effective than your Mosques loudspeaker. "The LRAD 100x, a common model for police departments, has a maximum loudness of 137 dB at one meter"

 

[Helpful Herbert]

This will not be respected, much less enforced, in any Muslim majority area in Indonesia. Just like the previous regulation from 1978. It is a circular from the Ministry of Religion, which does not have any enforcing mechanism. Even if it did, no hapless Satpol PP guy is going to risk his skin to ask a mosque to turn down their loudspeaker.

I disagree. This new move is actually quite significant and different from the 1978 one, because
1) It specifies a sound level (100Db)
2) It has been publicly supported by various muslim organisations
3) Socialisation is being carried out at the offending buildings, and implementing guidance has been issued [why would they bother if they thought it would have zero effect]

Clearly there will not be widespread compliance, but at least it could stop them getting even louder. And as a first step it seems to be as much as could reasonably be done. Also the comparison to dogs barking I thought was actually quite deliberate and quite clever, a kind of signal to minorities that their concerns are being addressed.

Don't forget these buildings are attacking the population daily, and this does have health effects, especially on vulnerable people (the Havana Syndrome issue where US embassies are attacked by sound waves is an interesting comparison). Such health effects include disrupted sleep meaning bodies take longer to recover from illness, PTSD from loud noises like ex-soldiers suffer (shell shock), lack of focus during everyday tasks, traffic accidents through extreme tiredness. There is no doubt at all that it indirectly causes death in one way or another, difficult to quantify how many exactly.

It's like the anti-money laundering rules. At first everyone says the rich will just ignore them. But then gradually over the years people start to realise that they do have some effect, even if rules are still often broken, actually having the rules is a start and something to build on. There are more hoops to jump through, it becomes harder to launder money, though still not impossible.

Or you can compare it to the battle to phase out premium benzin. People said it won't happen, but very gradually it is happening. Pertalite has pretty much replaced premium, and the process is only moving in one direction as far as I can see. People said motorists would blockade parliament if they ever tried, but the government found a way.

So, I'm optimistic.