City’s mosque noise abatement letter slammed
THE City has been slammed for “gross insensitivity” after it instructed the Tennyson Street Mosque in Salt River to mitigate the sound of the call to prayer with immediate effect.
The instruction came to the imam of the mosque in the form of a letter from the City.
It stated: “You are hereby requested as owner or occupant of this premises or the person responsible for the noise or all such persons, to mitigate the amplified sound from the Mosque with immediate effect. This request is made in good faith and this department does seek for this complaint to be resolved amicably.”
This came about two week after Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis announced during a full council sitting that the “noise nuisances” section of its Streets, Public Places, and Prevention of Noise Nuisances By-Law will not apply to places of worship operating within appropriate zoning.
Al-Jama-ah national spokesperson Shameemah Salie said they were appalled by the City's letter.
“The City promised to amend the by-law following a public outcry three years ago when a noise disturbance complaint was lodged against the 100-year-old Zeenatul Mosque in District Six. The DA-run City on April 28 proceeded to leave the by-law intact but only updated its standard operating procedures (SOP). As can be clearly seen from the notice received by Tennyson masjid, the call to prayer remains a source of ‘noise nuisance'.”
Salie said an apology should be extended to all affected religious institutions for insensitivity.
GOOD Party councillor Suzette Little said the “gross insensitivity” vindicated rejection of the mayor's “soothing double-speak”.
Little said: “We will continue to advocate that the travesty of referring to religious practice
as a noise nuisance be removed from the law books altogether.
“Cape Town is a multi-cultural city which implies a need for tolerance and inclusivity. It is not a monarchy, run by mayoral decree.
“There is no value in the mayor telling his minions to act with sensitivity; council must change the by-law. We once again ask the mayor to strike down the by-law with immediate effect.”
Community Services and Health Mayco member Patricia van der Ross said they would contact the mosque to apologise for the wording of the letter and to provide reassurance that Environmental Health Specialised Services would work with them to resolve the noise concern in the spirit of the SOP.
“The letter relates to the Provincial Noise Control Regulations and not the City of Cape Town's Streets, Public Places and Prevention of Noise Nuisances By-law.
“It was meant to inform the premises that complaints have been received and that the City would like to commence a resolution process. Unfortunately, the wording in the letter does not reflect the recently published SOP,” she said.
Van der Ross said detailed training with all practitioners dealing with noise complaints would take place and would ensure that letters of this nature were reviewed and not distributed to places of worship.