Mosque loudspeaker row hots up

Hindustan Times

11 hours ago

MUMBAI: A petition in the Bombay High Court; a meeting of imams in Govandi; and a delegation that tried, unsuccessfully, to meet deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar – these moves over the last two days reflect the disquiet among Mumbai's Muslims against the police's ongoing efforts to remove loudspeakers from mosques. On Monday, five Muslim institutions moved court against the manner in which the police have been removing loudspeakers. (Photo by ANI)
On Monday, five Muslim religious institutions moved court against the manner in which the police have been discharging these duties. The five institutions are all in Parksite, Vikhroli, where former MLA Arif Naseem Khan of the Congress has been active in the matter. They are represented by senior counsel Yusuf Muchhala and A Karim Pathan of the Association for Protection of Civil Rights.
On Tuesday, Samajwadi Party state president Abu Asim Azmi, MLA from Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar, addressed a gathering of 200 imams and masjid committee members in Govandi, under his assembly constituency. He urged them to demand that the police show them the order that directs them to remove loudspeakers. 'If they cannot show you the order, tell them to give instructions in writing,'' he said.
This is easier said than done, the imams told Hindustan Times. 'The police have a fixed modus operandi. They tell masjid committee members that masjids in the adjacent area have voluntarily removed their loudspeakers, and it's best they do the same, or else they would be sent a notice. That's enough to pressurise the committee members, many of whom not comfortable arguing with a group of policemen.''
Imran Qureshi is among the few who did ask the police to show him the order which directed the removal of loudspeakers. 'They cited the high court order. But the court has not said that loudspeakers should be removed; it has only said that the volume must be kept low,'' said Qureshi.
Since the police neither showed him the order, nor gave him written instructions, Qureshi refused to remove the loudspeaker from the mosque, where he is a committee member.
On Monday, the Govandi Citizens Welfare Forum also sent emails to the police and Chief Minister's Office, protesting the removal of loudspeakers 'without notice, explanation or due process, in violation of our fundamental rights'. Pointing out that there was no ban on azaan through loudspeakers, and also that other places of worship continued to use loudspeakers, the forum requested that top-rung police officers call a meeting of community representatives to resolve the issue.
In Govandi, Maulana Abdur Rehman Ziyahee claimed BJP leader and former MLA Kirit Somaiya has been collaborating with the police in the removal of loudspeakers. Somaiya also tweeted on Sunday that the police in Bhandup, Chembur and Govandi had told him that all loudspeakers from masjids in their respective areas had been removed.
Interestingly, Azmi said he would not raise the matter in the upcoming monsoon session of the legislature because 'every time I raise an issue that concerns Muslim rights, the BJP manages to polarise the atmosphere.''