Duhok waqf official says mosque speaker regulation targets noise, not the call to prayer

DUHOK, Iraq — A senior official at the Duhok Directorate of Awqaf said a recent regulation on mosque loudspeakers was not aimed at the call to prayer, but at addressing long-standing noise complaints from worshippers and residents across the province. Abdürrezzak Kevli, deputy director general of the Duhok Waqf Directorate, said the decision was taken in response to requests from congregations and neighborhood residents in the province's six districts. He said the goal was to regulate sound levels and restore calm in surrounding areas. According to Kevli, inspectors found that among Duhok's 1,106 mosques, some loudspeakers were set far too low while others were excessively loud. Interior speakers disrupted congregations, and exterior speakers were directed toward residential buildings in an inappropriate manner, prompting complaints. The official also noted that overlapping sound from nearby mosques disturbed worship. Kevli said the directorate received both criticism and messages of thanks following the decision. He stressed that implementation will continue and that the regulation only covers the adjustment of sound levels, without altering the call to prayer itself.