Proposal for Lakemba Mosque to broadcast Friday Jummah call to prayer

One of Australia’s largest mosques in western Sydney has lodged plans to broadcast the Muslim call to prayer using loudspeakers. Find out the details.

Lakemba Ali ibn Abu Taleb Mosque in Western Sydney.

One of Australia’s largest mosques has lodged plans to broadcast the Muslim call to prayer.

Sydney’s Lakemba Mosque has proposed to install four loudspeakers to its minaret to broadcast the call to prayer – known as adhan – for about five to 15 minutes every Friday ahead of the sacred midday ‘Jummah’ prayer.

If approved by Canterbury-Bankstown Council, the mosque – also known as the Masjid Ali Bin Abi Talib – will become the first in Sydney to broadcast the adhan year round.

According to planning documents, more than half of Lakemba’s population – about 61.2 per cent – identify as Muslim.

“In Lakemba, the adhan is a familiar and comforting sound for many residents, marking the rhythms of daily life and fostering a sense of unity and shared faith,” planning documents state.

Lakemba Ali ibn Abu Taleb Mosque in Western Sydney. Picture: Hollie Adams

“The loudspeakers proposed are a simple addition to the existing Mosque that will meet the religious needs of the Muslim community in the Lakemba region.”

The mosque is located within aa high density residential zone, surrounded mainly by single dwelling houses, multi-dwelling apartments and some commercial buildings.

Under current council planning policies, the proposed loudspeakers are permissible with council consent.

“The adhan is a call of prayer similar to those of church bells on Sunday morning for mass,” the documents further stated.

In Sydney CBD alone, church bells are rung every Sunday at five churches.

The historic Saint Mary’s Cathedral is home to 14 bells rung for 40 minutes every Sunday, and for an hour on the first, third and fifth Wednesday of each month.

They also hold bell ringing practise every Thursday night.

Acoustic modelling has determined the call to prayer should not exceed 81dB in commercial areas and 68dB in some residential areas. Picture: Supplied

Under current local government guidelines, the call to prayer must not be excessively loud, disruptive, or “harmful”.

An acoustic report conducted for the proposal calculated the call to prayer should not exceed 81dB in commercial areas and 68dB in some residential areas.

The report noted while the call to prayer will be loud, the short duration and inclusion of noise control recommendations should satisfy the guidelines.

Originally published as Proposal for Lakemba Mosque to broadcast Friday Jummah call to prayer