Hotli Simanjuntak, Banda Aceh – A lawsuit filed by a Muslim named Sayed Hasan, 75, against a local mosque for the excessive use of its public address (PA) system in Kampong Jawa, Banda Aceh, has been met with condemnation by the local community. They have gone so far as to threatened to evict Sayed from the village if he continues with the lawsuit.
"If he remains determined in filing the lawsuit against the use of the loudspeaker at Al Muchsinin Mosque, he will face the local community and the risks or be evicted from the village," said Kampong Jawa village chief Ridwan AR.
According to Ridwan, Hasan's behavior goes against the Aceh provincial administrations' policy of developing Banda Aceh as a civil and Islamic city, especially since Aceh is the only province that imposes Islamic law in everyday life.
The local community also uses the loudspeakers at mosques to convey messages regarding people's activities, from religious to social activities. "This is a shameful case and offends members of the Acehnese community that adhere to Islam," said Ridwan.
The case came to light after Sayed filed a lawsuit against caretakers of the Al-Muchsinin Mosque, the Banda Aceh municipality, the sharia office and Aceh Ulema Consultation Council (MPU) for the excessive use of PA systems at mosques.
Sayed previously said that the loudspeakers could be used as a form of bullying by mosques and certainly had disrupted his daily prayers. "I feel very uncomfortable with the volume they set," Sayed said. "My illness just makes it worse."
Sayed had asked representatives of the Al Muchsinin Mosque, the Banda Aceh city administration, the sharia office and the MPU to ask local mosques to turn down the volume of their loudspeakers.
Sayed vowed to find a way to make himself heard by the authorities, citing the example of Malaysia, where mosques can be instructed to turn down the volume of their loudspeakers.
Villagers consider Sayed's excuse of having a heart condition irrelevant, because he was the only complainant, while residents who live close to the mosque said they had no objection to the sound emitted by its loud speakers.
Banda Aceh Deputy Mayor Illiza Sa'aduddin said the lawsuit filed against the mosque was in line with the law. The Banda Aceh municipality has no plan to issue a bylaw on the use of PA systems at mosques because it is regarded the domain of the MPU.
The MPU deems Hasan's lawsuit to be baseless and lacking strong arguments despite his claim of suffering ill health. "Actually, he [Sayed] once approached the MPU requesting the issuance of an edict related to the use of PA systems at mosques, but we considered it unnecessary in Aceh," said Aceh MPU head Ghazali Muhammad Syam.
According to Ghazali, several regions and villages in Aceh have a special regulation on the use of PA systems at mosques, so it is not necessary for MPU clerics to issue an edict.
In 2012, Vice President Boediono criticized the high volume of speakers used to broadcast the call to prayer, saying he would prefer that the call be made at a lower volume. The call to prayer is made five times a day.
Boediono also asked council members to begin discussing a policy to limit the volume of loudspeaker broadcasts at mosques in the country. His request has received mixed reactions from various groups.