Saudi Arabia's Islamic Affairs minister on Monday defended an order to lower the volume on mosque loudspeakers, saying families had been complaining that competing speakers were keeping their children awake.
In a circular last week, the Islamic Affairs Ministry said loudspeakers on mosques should not be set higher than a third of their maximum volume. Speakers that are used to broadcast the call to prayer and the signal for prayers to start should then be switched off, rather than continue to broadcast full prayers and sermons.
In a video released by state broadcaster Al Ekhbariyah, Islamic Affairs Minister Abdullatif al-Sheikh said the changes were a response to complaints from the public over excessive volume, including from the elderly and parents whose children's sleep was being disrupted.
"Those who want to pray don't need to wait for ... the imam's voice. They should be at the mosque beforehand," he said, adding that there were also several television channels broadcasting prayers
