Israel fines Palestinian Imam for making the call to prayer by loudspeaker

Authorities in Lod imposed a fine on a Palestinian Imam for using a loudspeaker to make the call to prayer.

In the first application of the law which prevents the call to prayer being made, Haaretz reported yesterday that the Lod Municipality authorities fined a Palestinian muezzin 750 Shekels ($197) after he made the call to morning prayer using a loudspeaker.

The fine was imposed against Sheikh Mahmoud Alfar from the Shnir neighbourhood in Lod.

“There is no doubt that the city is taking advantage of the atmosphere and the proposed ‘muezzin law’ in order to be seen as fighting muezzins in Lod, and citing statutes out of the belief that it will deter us,” Sheikh Adel Alfar, the imam’s brother, told Haaretz, adding, “we shall not be deterred by threats and fines, and we have always said that everything can be solved at the negotiating table and through dialogue and mutual respect rather than by force and enforcement.”