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Ministry advises TV stations to show 'adzan' in text during papal mass broadcasts
The suggestion from the Religious Affairs Ministry was made following a request from the papal visit committee to replace the adzan (Islamic call to prayer) broadcasts, so it won't disrupt the live broadcasting of Pope Francis-led Mass in Jakarta on Thursday evening.
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A worker installs a billboard on Sept. 3, 2024 for the upcoming Mass led by Pope Francis at the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Stadium in Jakarta, slated for Sept. 5. (AFP/Aditya Aji)
T
he Religious Affairs Ministry has issued a circular advising television stations to replace the broadcast of the adzan (Islamic call to prayer) with a text announcement during the live broadcast of a Mass led by Pope Francis in Jakarta on Thursday.
The circular, dated on Sunday, was issued by the ministry’s Catholic and Muslim Community Guidance directorates general, for the Communications and Information Ministry’s Post and Informatics Management Directorate General.
“The Religious Affairs Ministry advises television stations to live broadcast the Mass led by Pope Francis on Sept. 5 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. without any breaks,” says the circular, as reported by Antara.
The ministry also suggested that the stations broadcast a written message marking the adzan for maghrib (dusk prayer), which usually falls around 6 p.m., to replace the usual audiovisual recording of the call to prayer, so it would not interrupt the live broadcast of the Mass.
In Muslim-majority Indonesia, it is common for TV stations to broadcast the adzan video for subuh (dawn prayer) and maghrib during sunset.
The circular was issued following the papal visit committee’s request for the Religious Affairs Ministry to communicate with Islamic organizations regarding the adzan broadcast during the papal Mass at the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) stadium in Jakarta.
Read also: Pope calls for stronger interfaith ties to counter extremism, intolerance
