Cape Town City still classifies Muslim call to prayer as ‘excessive noise’

As the world’s Muslims commemorate Ramadan, Good Party in Cape Town says the city still classifies the Muslim call to prayer as ‘noise disturbance.’

An estimated 166,000 Muslims live in Cape Town.

“Three years after the City of Cape Town promised to amend its noise by-laws to exclude the Muslim call to prayer from the definition of “noise disturbance”, the amendment hasn’t been made,” said Good Party in a statement.

The City’s website continues to include “Church singing/bells” and “Calls to Mosque” as examples of “noise disturbance” – alongside nightclubs and industrial noise.

Good Party has now submitted a formal proposal to amend the by-law relating to streets, public places, and the prevention of noise nuisance.

“The matter has been outstanding since May 2019, when, in the middle of the holy month of Ramadan, a noise disturbance complaint was lodged against the 100-year-old Zeenatul Mosque in District Six for the call to prayer, the Athaan,” said the party in a statement.

“The city’s leadership publicly promised to provide for an exemption from noise control regulations for the Athaan and church bells.

To date, this has not happened, and there has been no indication that the amendment is under consideration,” said Good Party’s Suzette Little.

Good has therefore proposed that the amended Section 3 of the by-law reads as follows:

“No person shall in a public place shall:

• Cause or permit to be caused a disturbance by shouting, screaming, or making any other loud or persistent noise or sound, including amplified noise or sound; or
• Permit noise from a private residence or business to be audible in a public place, except for the purposes of loudspeaker announcements for public meetings or due to the actions of street entertainers.
• Places of worship, such as churches and mosques, operating lawfully in terms of the Cape Town Planning By-Law and its Zoning Scheme, shall be exempted from the provisions of the Western Cape Noise Control Regulations and from the provisions of this by-law, for the purposes of religious sounds of calls to prayer, ringing of bells and singing.

Compiled by Narissa Subramoney

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