Bahrain: Mosque antenna installation talk shocks Sunni Endowments Directorate

Cairo: Bahrain’s Sunni endowments department has voiced opposition to proposed installation of communication antennas atop mosques, saying mosques have a special place.

The comment came in response to a reported unanimous approval by a municipal council in the Southern Governorate of a proposal allowing communication firms to install telecom towers over mosque minarets.

“The directorate is surprised that the municipal council has unilaterally taken such a decision without referring to the bodies concerned such as the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, or the Ministry of Justice and Endowments,” the Sunni Endowment Directorate said, according to Al Watan newspaper.

The department added that it had previously rejected a similar proposal. “Mosques have a special place in our religion, requiring observance of religious rules and securing approval of Sharia court judges,” it said.

The institution stressed the necessity of advance coordination before any decision is taken in connection with mosques and other facilities overseen by the Sunni Endowments Directorate in Bahrain.