Moroccan MP Seeks to Ban Loudspeakers for Fajr Prayers, Says it Drives Tourists Away

A Moroccan member of the House of Councilors has urged the government to ban using loudspeakers for Fajr prayers in tourist cities.

The councilor, speaking during a meeting in parliament with Minister of Tourism Mohamed Sajid, said that tourists are bothered by the loud call to prayer as it disrupts their sleep, reports Moroccan daily Assabah.

In order to fix the problem, the MP suggested banning using loudspeakers for Fajr prayers, mainly in touristic cities.

Assabah reported that Sajid listened to the MP with giving a response to his request.

The issue was a subject to heated debate in 2008, when media reported that former Minister of Social Development Nouzha Skalli made a similar proposition during a government meeting.

The minister was heavily criticized by conservative media outlets and imams. In 2014, Skalli addressed the controversy in an interview with Moroccan radio host Redouane Erramdani, saying she did not make any suggestion but rather asked the Minister of Islamic Affairs if muezzins would take into consideration hospitals and touristic buildings and lower the voice of loudspeakers when calling to prayer.

Source: BNA