DUBAI // An Emirati woman could not keep quiet this week when she realised that loud music playing at a shop in Wafi Mall was preventing shoppers hearing the call to the Maghrib prayers. The music could be heard several shops away during the visit, which happened on Sunday, said Muna al Shamsi, 25. In addition to lodging complaints with the mall's management and the Department of Economic Development, she has since taken her campaign to the internet. After she began posting about the situation on Twitter a fellow user and Emirati, Jalal bin Thaneya, 24, said he had similar experiences at Wafi and other malls in Dubai.
Mr bin Thaneya suggested they create an online petition. The result is a Twitter "call for respect", a petition to boycott shops that regularly overlook the national religion and culture by blaring music during prayers. As of yesterday afternoon, 73 people had signed. Versions are available in Arabic and English. "Before I posted the petition I went through all the known, formal ways of complaint," said Ms Al Shamsi. "So I would not leave an open area of excuse. "Still that will remain a personal action and no one can really tell how the complaint went. A petition, however, is a 'group' of voices ... the more people who sign it, the more it becomes clear that this is not one person's concern."
Both complainants felt mall management did not take their concerns seriously enough. "Five minutes is all we are asking for to ban music," Mr bin Thaneya said. Music is usually turned down several minutes before and after prayers and if it is not, it is usually due to forgetfulness, said Aser Albaseer, the public relations manager at Wafi Mall. "There is no formal regulation because it's common sense," she said. "We instruct our tenants to control their music within their own shops and not be heard in Wafi at all times."
Although there is no federal law against playing music during prayers, the Department of Economic Development can issue fines in individual cases. Penalties include a warning with a follow-up for a first offence, a fine of Dh500 for a second and Dh1,000 for a third. "Only when there is cause of disturbance, in which music is being played loudly outside the shop and bothers shoppers, there is a penalty," said Abdullah al Shehi, the director of the commercial protection department.
Once they receive complaints, the department deals with the mall management and shops by advising them on the religious and cultural issues, he said. The petitions are at http://twitition.com/n739p, which is the English version, and http://twitition.com/xikwm for the Arabic. @Email:newsdesk@thenational.ae