A quiet town is on the brink of a religious war after locals called the Muslim call to prayer a “nuisance” that will bring down their property value.
At the centre of the controversy is the Jaami Masjid Mosque in Church Street, Oudtshoorn.
The use of a loudspeaker for the athaan (call to prayer) has angered certain residents in the Karoo town.
Mufti Basheer Khan, the imam of the mosque, started using the PA system at the start of Ramadaan in 2010.
Since then, there has been an outcry from residents and the Ratepayers’ Association to silence the athaan.
Residents also say the mosque did not follow the proper procedures in getting approval from the municipality.
But Imam Khan denies any wrongdoing and says he followed the proper procedure and has documents to prove it.
He said: “I have taken away the early morning call to prayer so as not to disturb residents. The other call to prayer is during the day, before sunset and an hour after sunset. I cannot see how this could be a disturbance.”
But the Ratepayers’ Association says they are not condemning Islam but are totally against the use of loudspeakers for the call to prayer.
Chairperson Lizanne Pelham said: “It’s like living in the Middle-East. The imam said it would be a mosque without any call to prayer on a PA system.”
And her sentiments are echoed in letters to the municipality.
Tour operator Reinhold Hensel stays directly opposite the mosque.
He says in a letter to the municipality in May this year: “This mosque is not silent anymore since last September when the imam made the call to prayer over the speakers. This makes the lives of the local residents, including my family, unbearable.
“Not only am I personally disturbed by the call to prayer but my business, which is a bed and breakfast and a tour operation has been severely affected, to the point where I have to close my business.”
He goes on to write: “As there are historically no Muslim residents in the area, I can only assume that the reason for the mosque’s call to prayer with a complete lack of thought for local residents, is to chase out the existing community and lower the house prices so that these can be bought up by new Muslim residents.”
Law firm Cillers Odendaal representing a number of concerned residents and ratepayers state in a letter to the municipal manager: “The public address loudspeakers used to call prayers cause a nuisance to the surrounding property owners.”
But law firm Mahood Mai representing the mosque and Muslim residents states in a reply the Muslim community of Oudtshoorn have no wish to start a conflict with fellow residents with whom they have been living in peace.Mai
Mai said: “We are living in a democratic South Africa where equality and the freedoms of religion, belief and opinion are entrenched in terms of Sections 9 (2), (15) and 31 (1) of our Constitution. The calling to prayer by our client, which is prevalent in the entire South Africa, is an integral part of Islam.
‘The athaan is akin to the ringing of the church bells by persons of the Christian faith.
“Our clients are insulted by the fact that your client deem the athaan as a nuisance and are regretful that your clients have not taken the opportunity of learning the significance of the athaan.”
Mai says his clients don’t believe the athaan can constitute a “nuisance” given each prayer’s call is about three minutes.
Head of the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) Moulana Igshaan Hendricks says they will fully support the Oudtshoorn Muslim community.
“In the past we have successfully arbitrated similar case in Cape Town and we are ready take the same route if deem necessary,” he said.
“This is the first time that I was informed about the objection against the call to prayer in Oudtshoorn.
“We will immediately take up the issue with the imam.” - Daily Voice