Mosques seek sound quality for Ramadan

JAKARTA - Reuters

This file photo shows a man speaking into a microphone at Istiklal mosque in Jakarta. REUTERS photo

Indonesia’s mosques are trying to sound their best for the Ramadan fasting month, splashing out on high-quality loudspeakers to woo the faithful and avoid upsetting non-Muslims. With about 800,000 mosques serving the world’s largest Muslim population, the cacophony of calls to prayer from poor quality and poorly synchronized speakers has become an increasing irritation.

Senior Muslims, and even the country’s vice president, have questioned whether the enthusiasm might be getting out of hand.

“One complaint includes when there are two or three (mosques) in a neighborhood and they get involved in a loudspeaker war, trying to be louder than the others,” said Amidhan, a head of the highest Islamic authority, the Indonesian Ulema Council.

Some mosques are responding by seeking smoother sounding speakers. Local company V8sound is trying to tap into that market with its “Al Karim” speakers.

“The purpose of these loudspeakers is so that Indonesian mosques can have a jazz lounge standard,” Harry Kissowo, the company founder and audio adviser for the presidential palace, told Reuters.

More mosques, he says, are willing to pay the 25 million rupiah ($2,600) price tag for an Al Karim, more than double the price of more commonly used sound system.

The routine use of loudspeakers for five prayer calls a day increases during Ramadan and can include a very early reminder that dawn prayers are coming up.