• ‘I Think The Modern Churches Are Cooperating With Government To Win The War’
• ‘Soundproof Is Not Too Expensive, If They Engage Good Professionals To Do It’
• ‘Allah Directs That People Should Not Be Subjected To Loud And Annoying Noises’

‘We Advise Members To Disconnect Outside Speakers’
(Arc Taofeek Wunmi Agbaje, National President, Jamatul Islamiyya of Nigeria & Overseas)

WE’VE started organising lectures and seminars for our members. The aim is to enlighten them on the need to make the environment conducive to relaxation. The issue of noise pollution would be unnecessary, if only religious organisations would do the needful. Traditionally, Islamic religion doesn’t work on noise. And even in our Holy Book, the Almighty Allah specifically mentioned that He is closer to us than the veins in our neck. In other words, He is not asking anybody to shout or make noise before He can hear your petitions. You can also talk to Him silently. For instance, in our five daily prayers, the one in the morning and evening are the ones you need to read out loud, and it’s not as if one should make noise about it.

So, what we try to tell them in the mosques is that if you are making a call for prayers, you can disconnect the loudspeaker outside and make use of the ones inside. As a Lagos boy, I grew up on Lagos Island, where the speakers are put outside the mosque. I discovered that after the normal early morning prayers, you don’t need extra time to make unnecessary announcement. Since Lagos State government has come up to say religious bodies should not put their speakers outside the mosque or church, where they constitute nuisance to others living in the same vicinity, I think it is advisable that we talk to ourselves. You shouldn’t disturb others with your religion. It is a sin in Islam. You cannot be doing your asalatu and the whole street is not at peace. The Almighty Allah says He’s not a God of noise, and even if you whisper, He knows what is in your mind; He knows what you are requesting. And we are very grateful that the Lagos State has taken a serious step towards achieving this.

About two or three weeks ago, they had to lock up some mosques and churches on account of noise pollution. This should be kept up so that we can have some sanity in the system. Those wanting to pray can easily walk down to the mosque and say their prayers. So, there is no need for all the noise they are making all over the place. What is happening now shows that a lot of people have commercialised religion by calling on people to give them money. Even Radio Lagos is always announcing that the time for prayer is so and so. The only time you are expected to hear the Imam’s voice is during the morning and evening prayers, which does not take up to two or three minutes. The rest is supposed to be conducted silently.

The state government should be able to enforce the law that the loudspeakers used by these religious bodies should be placed inside. The major challenge I see, as an architect, is that we don’t pay attention when giving approval for the construction of most worship centres, because some of them are not built with materials that are capable of absorbing the noise, even if it is contained within the hall. The issue has a lot to do with government. For instance, when a mosque or church is being constructed, government should supervise to ensure that the required noise preventing materials are used. This is the area, where government needs to come in and properly monitor.

In a well-organised society, the mosque or church should have soundproof material so that if they are doing all their dancing and clapping in the hall, it wouldn’t be heard outside. So, it is not just stopping them, government also needs to monitor to ensure they comply with required standard. The government must have enough agencies to monitor some of these things. It is not after building a mosque or church that government agencies start showing up. If you go to Glover Hall on Lagos Island, you won’t hear any sound emanating from it. Some of these things are taken into consideration before the construction was done. Lagos is becoming a megacity and as such, there’s need to have in place a structure that will factor in some of these things. And that is why the legislation must come up. We have a lot to do here in Lagos, as a lot of people just build without approval. Soundproof is not too expensive, if they engage good professionals to do it. For instance, many people build without the services of an architect. There are engineers for noise prevention. I have done one or two jobs like that before. If you don’t use the right professional, whatever you are going to do will be expensive and those who do the right thing are actually saving money.

‘We don’t Put Speakers Outside Again’

(Bishop (Dr.) Chris E. Kwakpovwe, publisher, Our Daily Manna (ODM) and General Overseer, Manna Prayer Mountain Interdenominational, Worldwide)

THE days of a church making noise anyhow is over. I think churches should actually go professional now, by asking questions and bringing professional engineers that can prevent noise from escaping from a church hall. We have some of the best engineers in this country, so we should employ them to do the job. Churches have to become like mini-studios, where if you are recording, noise cannot enter or escape. The churches abroad are soundproof and this is what we have done in our church. We’ve made it soundproof and so, we don’t need to put speakers outside and start disturbing neighbours. In London or America, you can be worshipping and your neighbour will not even know, as the door is locked and everywhere is air-conditioned.

But the question is: How many people can afford to make their churches soundproof? In such cases, noise should be minimised. However, there are some services that hold once a month and with such large gatherings, there is an overflow and you cannot air-condition a whole street. Again, you cannot drive people away, when they have come to worship God. But we have appealed to our neighbours and so, they are aware of what we do once in a month. Aside noise pollution, there is another kind of pollution and that is the way church members use their cars to block streets. These cars are parked in such a way that neighbours’ gates are totally blocked. They cannot go out or come in. That is also a serious problem in this country, especially the churches that are doing well. Neighbours usually complain and I call this kind of scenario “traffic pollution.” Noise and traffic are two things that affect neighbourhood.

I think the modern churches are cooperating with government to win the war, because they have air-conditioners, with locked doors and so, noise will not penetrate outside. But the same cannot be said of the old churches. Here, there are no air-conditioners and so, there is bound to be noise pollution because all their windows are usually opened and neighbours suffer the consequence. For instance, you sometimes have about four churches in one shopping complex with different loud speakers blaring. This is evil. Churches should ensure that their speakers are installed inside, as well make their worship centres soundproof. And those that have spill-over during church service can break the services into two to three, rather than have one big service that will cover the road and with speakers outside. This is unacceptable.

I would not agree with the idea of relocating churches and mosques to non-residential areas. The reason is that we have C of O, though I know that government has the right to do anything, but they should consider the investment we’ve made in the places, where our churches are located. Relocating the church to one forest is not going to work, just like relocating the hospital. They should not forget that churches are like community service. We are helping government in certain aspects. We are attending to souls that are physically bruised and unable to sleep. People in that condition need spiritual help and the best place to be is in the church. I have witnessed a suicide case, but thank God the man did not die. He would have killed himself that fateful night, if the church were far away. It is just like a patient dying because the hospital is far. Hospitals should be within the neighbourhood and churches should also be within the neighbourhood because we are caring for human health. This is the way I see it psychologically. We are spiritual doctors. I’m a pharmacist, but I no longer practise pharmacy. Right now, I’m a spiritual pharmacist, caring for my neighbours. People with different problems call you even in the midnight. You are just like the doctor on duty, but if I were to be in the bush or forest, how would they ever see me?

‘When Praying To Allah, We Should Not Raise Our Voices Unduly’

(Prof. Dawud O. S. Noibi, Executive Secretary/CEO Muslim Ummah of Southwest Nigeria (MUSWEN)

ALLAH explains everything in the Qur’an (Q 16:89) and through the sayings and actions of His Prophet (pbuh), leaving out nothing (Q 6:38). The warning against noise pollution is no exception. ‎He directs that people should not be subjected to loud and annoying noises, as these cause physical and psychological harms. Believers are advisedly informed that the sage, Luqman, the Abyssinian, instructed his son saying, “… and lower your voice, for the harshest of sounds is, without doubt, the braying of the ass” (Q 31:19). Even in praying or supplicating to Allah, we should do so‎ without raising our voices unduly, as He is “close by and answers the petition of the caller when he calls on Me” (Q 2:186). Hence, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) pointedly discouraged believers from shouting when addressing their petitions to Allah, as He is “neither deaf nor absent, … but All-Hearing, Close by” (al-Bukhari & Muslim). So, humility, which is characteristic of righteous supplication, requires the avoidance of shouting in the course of supplication.

Furthermore, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) ‎forbade believers from shouting in the mosque, as that would make it difficult for other users of the facility from concentrating on their prayers or pondering the message of the Qur’an when reading it. Besides, shouting in the mosque may amount to disrespecting the Creator! Meanwhile, the khutbah or sermon delivered in the course of the Jummu’ah or Friday special service is delivered to the hearing of the whole congregation. Understandably, in modern times, it often involves the reasonable use ‎of loudspeakers, as is the case when a speaker addresses a large audience. In such circumstances, the use of such equipment is not regarded as a nuisance. Obviously, the issue of the call to prayer known as adhan arises. This is not a problem. It is a requirement that worshippers in the neighbourhood be invited to the mosque for each of the five obligatory formal prayers of the day, drawn from the hustles and bustles of daily life with all the temptations harboured therein. They are thus regularly drawn into spiritual and moral rejuvenation that sustains them until it is time for the next prayer. In any case, the call lasts for no more than 90 seconds. So, the call to prayer, like the moderate sounds of the church bell, needs not be regarded as noise pollution.

However, in view of the above comments, the use of the loudspeaker‎ in making even the Brief call to prayer needs not be too loud, as it is meant only for the Muslims in the neighbourhood. As for the use of it in the course of the congregation prayer or in delivering the khutbah/sermon, the catchment is better restricted to mosque premises, where the congregation is gathered.

Meanwhile, the idea of relocating mosques to places outside‎ residential areas should not be toyed with, as it will make the regular obligatory congregational worship in the mosque impossible for Muslims living in any residential area. It is certain that government would not like to be seen as preventing Muslims from fulfilling a religious obligation that is an integral part of their daily life.

‘For Over Four Years Now, We’ve Done Without Horn Speakers’

(Bishop (Prof) Cyriacus Uwanaka, Presiding Bishop, Pentecostal Restoration Church, Mafoluku, Lagos)
NOISE is defined by Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary as “a sound, especially when it is loud, unpleasant or disturbing: a rattling noise. It could also be extra electrical or electronic signals that are not part of the signal that is being broadcast or transmitted. Thirdly, if it is unwanted information, which can make it difficult for the important or useful information to be heard clearly”.

It is normal for anyone to label what others find enjoyable or acceptable, as noise, ugly and unacceptable. This applies to even music, if such person does not understand it. What is called noise in the church? Praise and worship, which are considered the most vital aspect of Christian worship, which does not take more than 20 to 30 minutes, except during vigil or dedicated Praise Service. Messages/sermons or testimonies cannot be said to be noise. Some prayers can be called noise to a hearer, who either does not understand it or is busy with some other things at the same time of the prayers and therefore feels distracted. This is not to say there is nothing noisy or distracting from churches, music vendors, transporters and mosques. Some music, prayer or clapping are noisy to outsiders, especially during vigils and should be reduced. Horn speakers blaring loud uncoordinated sound from churches, mosques, music dealers, transporters and drug sellers among others are considered noise to the hearers, who are not adherents.

We have for over four years removed our horn speakers. Personally, I don’t like noisy places, but we cannot stop using musical instruments. They are used in the Bible to praise God and we are enjoined to make joyful noise unto Him. The issue of relocating churches and mosques outside the neighbourhood cannot happen. Where are the cheap and affordable good transport network that government has provided to convey people to the industrial, commercial or forest places, they want the church to go, with the meagre salary they are paying workers? Companies provide transport or pay allowances to move their workers to and from such places. Do they want the churches to do the same? Even in America, churches are located within the reach of the people. The only difference is that churches have large compounds just like their roads. Almost everything in America is large. Why do they pick churches or worship places provided by the worshippers and then leave the roads and other amenities government is supposed to provide? Why do they approve and site petrol stations in the communities, which sometimes cause death and mass destructions? All those people making the laws were prayed for in those churches and mosques before they got there. Are the churches and mosques not close to their houses before they won elections or are they located in the forests? Are they not living and worshipping with the rest of us before becoming governors, lawmakers and enforcers? No one can stop churches in the communities; else they’ll incur the wrath of God.

‘Our Right To Worship Does Not Include A Right To Disturb Others’

(Rev. Francis Ejiroghene Waive, General Overseer  Fresh Anointing Missionary Ministries INC/Senior Pastor, Church of the Anointing, Warri, Delta State)

NOISE disturbance is the excessive noise that may harm the activity of human life. Outdoor noise or environmental noise is the major source of this discomfort to most Nigerians and sadly some of these come from religious houses. We forget that high noise levels can contribute to cardiovascular effects in the human being, as well as psychological disorders. Our youths have formed the habit of always having earpiece plugged on and most of the time in high volumes. They hardly hear you when you speak to them. Noise pollution can cause hypertension; high-stress levels, hearing loss, sleep disturbances and other health complications. Most Pentecostal and white garment churches are guilty of noise pollution. It behoves the leadership of the PFN and OAIC to educate their clerics on this anomaly. All night prayers, early morning prayers and outdoor crusades and even indoor church services are beamed to the neighbourhood via loud speakers. I personally wonder the reason for this. It cannot be for the conversion of sinners, as most of what comes out makes no sense to non-members and worse still is offensive to those trying to catch some sleep, carry out academic exercises, etc.

In our church, we use the outdoor loud speakers only during our evangelistic campaigns, but that usually is for a limited number of days. It is well advertised and specifically directed to soul-winning in a particular place. We do not place loud speakers outside our church building. We also modulate the volume of indoor speakers to be friendly to the hearing of worshippers. Noise pollution is both a nuisance and an environmental problem. Here in Nigeria, many conflicts over noise pollution are handled by negotiation between the emitter and the receiver. In advanced countries, however, there are laws that guide conducts in this regard. Religious leaders should understand that their right to worship does not include a right to disturb others. True religion must be humane and considerate.

‘Religious Houses Are Not The Only Guilty Ones. How About Beer Palours?’

(Pastor Ezekiel Joel, General Overseer, Full Salvation Believers’Int’l, Nnewi, Anambra State)
THE problem of noise pollution has lately become very alarming in our society. Actually, religious houses should not be made the only scapegoats. But it seems more people are becoming increasingly antagonistic to the church in recent times. It is as if the existence of the church has made some people very uncomfortable. Such people will turn a blind eye on the sprawling beer palours and pepper soup joints or dancing halls that are fast becoming the order of the day, springing up in every nooks and crannies of the land. Nobody seems to be disturbed by the noise blaring from the backyard industries and generators. The noise emanating from wedding and funeral ceremonies does not seem to disturb some people. But, there is endless clamour about noise pollution in churches. It is rather unfortunate. This does not mean noise pollution from churches should go on unabated or unchecked. I hate noise pollution, regardless of the reasons. It smacks of gross in consideration of the peace and convenience of others. It is unfair to hold vigil services in residential neighbourhoods without taking into consideration the night rest or sleep, which the non-participants deserve.

I think churches that aren’t far away from residential properties should not be using outside loudspeakers. If there is any need at all, it should be during night watch services. By God’s grace, our proposed church auditorium is going to be such that the neighbours will not be in anyway disadvantaged.