Tolerance under stress as ‘loud’ mosque prayers draw complaints

By Kornkamol Aksorndej 
The Nation

 

 

A BANGKOK MOSQUE in existence for more than 100 years has lately been the subject of many anonymous complaints about the loudness of the rituals conducted there.
 

“The complaints keep coming, very likely from the same person,” Sombat Wongsamai, a 68-year-old adviser to the imam of Bang Uthit Mosque in Bang Khao Laem district, said yesterday. The mosque had received complaints long before Wat Sai drew the ire of a neighbouring condominium resident disturbed by the pre-dawn ringing of bells. 

 

Observers have pointed out that such complaints from residents about religious centres would have been unimaginable in the city just a few decades ago. 

 

Sombat said the mosque, in response to the complaints, had lowered the volume of its loudspeakers, but the complaints kept coming. 

 

The Bang Kho Laem District Office earlier this month wrote to Wat Sai asking that its bell ringers exercise restraint. It apparently received complaints about the mosque too because it has several times sent officials there to gauge the volume of the loudspeakers. 

 

“But every time the measurements are made, the mosque is found to have complied with noise standards and the volume has never exceeded 80 decibels,” Sombat said. 

 

 

Friendly coexistence

 

He said he understood the complainant’s annoyance, but pointed out that other neighbours had long tolerated the amplified calls to prayer in the interest of mutually friendly co-existence.

 

“The mosque has been here for a long time, and long-time locals have never complained. They know that Muslims are being reminded of prayer times,” Sombat said. 

 

People in the area demonstrate the same tolerance whenever someone hosts a big party with loud music, he said. 

 

He was addressing the |complaints after the district office and the person complaining about Wat Sai’s bell came under heavy public criticism. 

 

Anusorn Ong-art, the imam at Bang Uthit Mosque, said it was 105 years old and most people in the neighbourhood were Muslims. 

 

“Even newcomers are usually able to adjust well to the local culture and way of life,” he said. 

 

Preeda Chuaphudee, an adviser to the Sheikhul Islam, visited Anusorn yesterday to offer moral support. 

 

He said there were more than 180 mosques in Bangkok and all had lowered the volume of amplified calls to prayer in recent years to avoid friction with neighbours. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30355992

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-10-08

I think it's time for a new law where no religion can make much noise....in BKK people work/sleep 24hrs and it's important that they rest well.

2 hours ago, webfact said:

but the complaints kept coming.

why o why would muslims care about non-muslims ?

Why do some thais feel ,the louder the better? the answer is ''attention''.... Do others really want to hear your ''SH*T''  ,the answers is NO..   Mabey its time to realize ''less is (usually) more''...

Edited October 8, 20187 yr by mok199

These religious types have such a sense of self-righteous entitlement. 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

They know that Muslims are being reminded of prayer times

Why do they need reminding every day ?

Surely there memory function works.

9 minutes ago, NE1 said:

Why do they need reminding every day ?

Surely there memory function works.

maybe similar to pavlov's bell? 

There is a Sophisticated Application for their phone that will remind them anywhere there are in the world, even points to Mecca from their current location.

"reminding followers of prayer time"...

Why can't they adjust to the times and send an SMS?

Actually I live about a kilometer away, but can hear the man chanting over the loudspeakers every few hours, like a tuneless karaoke bar. Not a nuisance at this distance, but very aware there's a mosque somewhere around.

Certainly I feel sorry for the majority non-muslim population who live any closer.

They know that Muslims are being reminded of prayer times,”

 

If they are so religious why do they need to get reminded about praying times ?

13 minutes ago, mok199 said:

Why do some thais feel ,the louder the better? the answer is ''attention''.... Do others really want to hear your ''SH*T''  ,the answers is NO..   Mabey its time to realize ''less is (usually) more''...

 

"less is more". The phrase is very apropos here.

Actually, no need for the loud music at all if the purpose of the loud music is "Muslims are being reminded of prayer times.”.

 

We nearly all have digital smart phones with multi-time-set alarms.

The answer is simple. Turn the music down so as to be a better neighbour, train your followers to use their digital device. Welcome to the digital age.

 

Post #2 above noted that "in BKK people work/sleep 24hrs and it's important that they rest well".

Very true. And while I can not speak for the demographics and expansion of condo dwellings in Bkk, logic says that it is much different than it was decades ago, maybe many new condos.

Come on, be a good neighbour ! Doesn't matter how long the mosque has been there. Times are changing, change with them.

 

Seems like Muslim Bashing to me, the mosques and whats were there long before the condos.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

People in the area demonstrate the same tolerance whenever someone hosts a big party with loud music, he said. 

 

Maybe, the mosque could try the party method with coyotes and all. Everyone should be happy then and stop complaining.

 

 

 

Times of reminders for going to church, for monks when praying times starts or the time to eat or stop eating and for Muslims to remind them to pray is old fashioned and long overdue.

This is from the past when nobody had a clock,watch or phone. There were only clock towers in the cities.

Now everybody know the time, can see time everywhere on watches an phones. So there is NO NEED for bells, speakers or whatever loud sounds they use to call the others.

If people want to receive reminders send them a group call for whatever they need.

So forbid all the loud noises the religious make! This modern world is loud enough!

3 hours ago, Thian said:

I think it's time for a new law where no religion can make much noise....in BKK people work/sleep 24hrs and it's important that they rest well.

I think it is about time that all religions are told to be quiet at all times everywhere.  Let the world progress in the 21st century based on scientific fact, not 2000 to 3000 year old mumbo jumbo,  primarily originated and perpetuated to control the masses and a means of fraudulently obtaining vast sums of money.

Edited October 8, 20187 yr by Esso49

I lived in Phra Kanong, on floor level with speakers from Mosque maybe 100-200 yds away. I got used to it. One time they have very early morning ceremony for funeral... told wife to send the dogs (a joke) if I wasn't back in 10 minutes: I was going to ask them to turn it down. They did, and were not at all aggressive about it & apologized.

If they want to keep up with their tradition of calling to prayer, how about doing it the traditional way?

Get up in the minaret and use voice only, no amplification.

In London the complainant gets a visit from the police for 'islamophobia'. 

13 minutes ago, Darcula said:

Maybe, the mosque could try the party method with coyotes and all. Everyone should be happy then and stop complaining.

If they did that, it surely would encourage them to come.

 

22 minutes ago, Darkside Gray said:

Seems like Muslim Bashing to me, the mosques and whats were there long before the condos.

I don't see any "Muslim bashing" here at all. Times change, go with the flow and adapt like everybody else does.

Imagine the uproar if Christian churches started ringing their bells and broadcasting "calls to prayers" at 0500 everyday. 

If Buddhist temples started broadcasting over amplified loudspeakers at daybreak everyday for people to come out and donate to the monks wandering around the area you can bet that there'd be a lot of complaints.

 

Now multiply that by 5 (times). Everyday. 

 

The "calls to prayers" are not just a "reminder" to the faithful, they are essentially propaganda directed at everyone in the area to try and convince them that Islam is the dominant religion (whether it is or not in that area). (Kind of like subliminal advertising.)

It is just one of the many ways they keep their own followers in line and try to influence everyone else. Blasphemy and Apostasy laws are also used to prevent followers from leaving the religion.

 

Christian Churches used to do much the same thing. The building of huge cathedrals and the bell ringings ("calls to service") were meant to remind their followers that Christianity ruled the land. "Tithing" and threats of excommunication were (are) used to keep the faithful in line.

Failing to tithe could result in being blacklisted by the church and everyone else in your community. It still happens in some places. I knew a guy from a small town in Germany back in the mid-80's that decided he wasn't going to give 10% of his earnings to the church, especially as he never even attended it. Within a couple weeks he was blacklisted from every business in the town and even his parents were threatening to kick him out of the house (after graduating from high school he was on a low-paying apprenticeship program so was still living with his parents until he had to report for military service). When I asked my other friends, they all "tithed" even if they never attended any services on a regular basis. They didn't want to face the same reaction from the people in the towns/villages they lived in.

Most religions have methods to "convince" their followers to remain faithful and to try and draw them into their churches/mosques/temples/whatever as that is usually where they can fleece them for the most money. Without that influx of cash, they couldn't afford to build bigger and better (whatever's) and would have a harder time trying to spread their influence (and thus a harder time of gaining more followers and more money of course).

3 hours ago, Thian said:

I think it's time for a new law where no religion can make much noise....in BKK people work/sleep 24hrs and it's important that they rest well.

Only in BKK ?

If people don't to be disturbed, maybe the temples and mosques should move with the times, and contact their 'faithful' by phoning them, or send an SMS to remind them.

 

 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

People in the area demonstrate the same tolerance whenever someone hosts a big party with loud music, he said. 

Problem solved - everybody turn on their boom boxes during call for prayer

37 minutes ago, Darkside Gray said:

Seems like Muslim Bashing to me, the mosques and whats were there long before the condos.

But that was in Neanderthal times before clocks and smart phones amongst other things were invented. They lived in communities miles from their wailing towers!! Move with the times!!

It seems there is a law. EPEQA B.E 2535, Notification of the National environmental Board No. 29 on Annoyance Noise Level Standard: From 10pm to 6 am the noise level shouldn't be more than 10 decibel.

 

 

Edited October 8, 20187 yr by Menhir

They could put posters outside the mosque letting people know what the days and times are of prayers , or at the end of each prayer session the Imam could say " see you all at the next prayer session which is at ............and don't forget to tell your friends ".

 

3 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

 

Problem solved - everybody turn on their boom boxes during call for prayer

Ha ha! "My religion is louder than your religion"

 

Dear all sensitive soul Thai people,

 

Ban those horrific sounding noisy  motorbike exhausts first, then complain about a Mosque.

 

Until then, put up and SHUT UP !!

Edited October 8, 20187 yr by SpeakeasyThai

2 minutes ago, NE1 said:

They could put posters outside the mosque letting people know what the days and times are of prayers , or at the end of each prayer session the Imam could say " see you all at the next prayer session which is at ............and don't forget to tell your friends ".

..and don't forget to subscribe to our facebook page.

 

6 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

 

Problem solved - everybody turn on their boom boxes during call for prayer

Exactly what we did in Saudi Arabia several years ago. Our compound used to be in a quiet neighbourhood. Then with developments came the ubiquitous Mosque on every corner. On Friday mornings ( their Sunday ) the speakers were turned towards our compound at 4 in the morning and prayers blasted out. Several of us placed speakers on the roof and blasted out heavy rock for an hour at the midday prayer. Unfortunately, it never helped solve the problem, but gave us a bit of a sense of satisfaction.