Coordinating Minister For Human Development And Culture: SE Minister Of Religion Regarding The Use Of Mosque Loudspeakers And Musala With Good Purpose

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendi/Photo: Antara

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK) Muhadjir Effendi said the Circular Letter (SE) of the Minister of Religion Number 05 of 2022 concerning Guidelines for Using Loudspeakers in Mosques and Musala was good.

He invited all parties to fully understand the circular.

"The Minister of Religion's SE is very good. That's why I ask the mosque administrators, musala administrators, takmir, to read everything first, understand what it means, what is the purpose," said Muhadjir in a written statement, Friday, February 25.

It is stated in the SE, that the use of loudspeakers in mosques or prayer rooms has a purpose, which includes reminding the public that prayer time will come through the sound of the call to prayer, prayers, and reading the Koran.

Not only that, loudspeakers also aim to convey the voice of the muezzin to the congregation when the call to prayer, the voice of the imam to the congregation when praying in congregation, or the voice of the preacher and lecturer to the congregation, as well as conveying da'wah to the wider community both inside and outside the mosque or prayer room. So, its use must be done proportionally and not haphazardly.

"Please read the SE properly and then apply it," said the former Minister of Education and Culture (Mendikbud).

Moreover, Muhadjir considered this arrangement to have a very good purpose, such as maintaining environmental comfort and tolerance. He also emphasized that the circular does not prohibit the use of loudspeakers but only adjusts to needs.

"You can use loudspeakers or toa, as long as it's reasonable. Don't be too loud but also don't be too soft. When you use it, it's also calculated correctly. Don't keep it loud 24 hours, not two hours before the dawn prayer is already loud," he said.

Furthermore, he also asked for an end to the polemic regarding the loudspeakers of the mosque and the prayer room. "So actually (SE, ed) it means good," said Muhadjir.

"Don't be easily influenced by piecemeal news, let alone just the title. Read the news, don't just read the title. Nowadays, many of our people read the news as the title, if the title is scary, they think it is. Even though it's only the title," he concluded.