Mosque 'call to prayer' volume louder since start of war

Since the outbreak of the "Iron Swords" war, the police have become aware of a phenomenon occurring in most mosques throughout the country: the muezzin's announcements over the PA system have become louder, causing significant harm to some residents.

Two imams at the Great Mosque in Lod were detained for questioning on Sunday at the Lod police station on suspicion of creating excessive noise through the PA system in the mosque.

At the end of their investigation, the two were released with a warning, and the police continued to handle the investigation file,  now classified as a criminal offense for creating a public disturbance.

The decision to detain the two was made by Central District Commander Superintendent Avi Biton after countless attempts to prevent noise hazards that have caused serious inconveniences to the residents of Lod.

Noise complaints were received around the country

About a month ago, Maariv published complaints from the residents of Sha'are Tikva about an unusual announcement in the mosque in the village bordering the town. Similar complaints were heard from residents in the north, and now it turns out that the residents of Lod are suffering from loud muezzins and petitioning calls to prayer in a way that constitutes a disturbance.

After contacting the imams and clerics in Lod, the police attempted, in light of the numerous complaints, to resolve the issue through dialogue, which proved unsuccessful. The police then had to confirm that the PA systems were indeed exceeding the permitted noise levels.

To examine the intensity of the noise, officers from the "Green Police," the main enforcement and deterrence arm of the Environmental Protection Ministry, were called, and using devices to measure noise intensity,  determined after several tests that it exceeded what is allowed by law and was defined as excessive and unreasonable.

Following inspections, fines were issued for the mosque, and later, the district commander decided to detain the two and initiate criminal proceedings.