Istanbul, Turkey - The decision of some associations to install anti-cell phone signal apparatus in mosques to prevent phones ringing during prayer has resulted in a freedom of speech debate that pit the Telecommunication Board against provincial mufti of Erzurum. Doğan News Agency reported that Telecommunication Board License Application Directorate Deputy Director Müninhan Bilgin, noting that installing such apparatus to prevent cell phone reception was illegal as it infringes on personal rights and freedoms, sent an official letter of complaint to the Religious Affairs Directorate. The letter also demanded such apparatus be removed as they also affect the quality of GSM services negatively. Bilgin said such devices also violated one of people's constitutional rights that says: “Everyone has the right to communication.”
“Rights and freedoms cannot be violated. Freedom of communication is secured by the constitution and stated that it cannot be obstructed without a court decision or authorized directive. Therefore, to put the GSM system out of service means disabling the public service and is a crime,” he said.
Bilgin demanded that the device be removed and the Telecommunication Board told about the process. The reply of imams to these arguments was: “We do not want to conduct prayer to the accompaniment of arabesque music and animal sounds.” The local telecommunication bureau forwarded the letter to the Mufti's office via the Erzurum Governor's Office in early March. In the attachment the local bureau inserted, it was noted, “The above said apparatuses are against the wireless, telephone and telegram laws.”
The right of the majority should be protected:
The imam and locals reacted against the notice sent with Palandöken Solakzade Mosque's Imam, Mehmet Büyükgöz, arguing that before they had installed the machine, there were constant arguments among his flock.
He argued that a cell phone ring could invalidate the prayer. “We turn the machine on when we start the prayers and turn it off afterwards.”
The imam said phone ringing made people lose their concentration because many forgot to turn their phones off once in the mosque.
“We spent a lot of money on the machine. How can we explain this to the people.”
Two locals İhsan Akbulut and Nizamettin Aydınlı backed the imam, noting that sometimes they found it hard to hear even the imam's sermon over the ringing.
Cemal Uşak, the general secretary of the Istanbul-based Intercultural Dialogue Platform and a renowned Muslim activist and writer, supports the decision to prevent cell phone calls within the mosque. "People who attend the mosque have the right to be able to pray in silence," Uşak argued and added: "If that right conflicts with one single individual who wants to keep his/her cell phone on in the mosque, then the right of the majority should be protected. The majority of the mosque community would prefer silence to disturbing phone signals."