Shorts-clad Muezzin Warned

Kuwaiti authorities have warned a muezzin after he gave the call to prayer while wearing a pair of shorts, an outfit that brought him under public criticism.

The warning followed an interrogation with the muezzin who admitted to his mistake, according to Kuwaiti media.

The Awqaf Ministry responsible for mosques in Kuwait warned the man against repeating the act and ordered him to comply with a mosque code of conduct.

Earlier, the ministry suspended the muezzin from duty and referred him to an inquiry after he appeared in a video giving the call to prayer inside a mosque while wearing shorts and a T-shirt,

The muezzin’s attire had triggered an outcry in the country, with detractors arguing that wearing the shorts is inappropriate for the status of the muezzin and sanctity of the mosque.

“The muezzin admitted to his dressing mistake as he was volunteering to clean the mosque library and the time for Azan [the call to prayer] came around. He made the Azan before being able to change his clothes,” head of the Mosque Imams Syndicate Mohammed Al Fawzan told Al Rai newspaper.

The paper quoted prominent cleric Abdullah Al Sharika as defending the muezzin, saying he has been serving in this status for 30 years without committing any violation or facing any administrative penalty. “He is known for his honesty, religiosity and good manners,” he added.

In June last year, Kuwait reopened mosques for congregational prayers after three months of closure due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

 

 

SOURCE  GULFNEWS

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