Clerics in India Want Ban on Quran Ringtones

Muslim clerics at a leading seminary in India have asked people to refrain from using verses from the Quran as ringtones for their mobile phones, saying the practice was un-Islamic.

Quran verses ''are not meant for entertainment,'' said Mohammed Asumin Qazmi, an official at the Dar-ul Uloom seminary in the northern Indian town of Deoband. ''Anyone who persists in using these should be ostracized from society.''

Ringtones with Quran verses or calls to prayers are popular among Muslims in Uttar Pradesh, India's largest state.

Mufti Badru-Hasan, a leading cleric in Uttar Pradesh capital of Lucknow, said he supported a ban on such ringtones.

''One should hear the complete verse of the Quran with a pious mind and in silence. If it is used as a ringtone, a person is bound to switch on the mobile, thus truncating the verse halfway,'' he said. ''This is an un-Islamic act.''

More from News Analysis

They are most commonly used by people in their mid-40s and 50s, said Mukesh Sinha, a mobile phone company executive.

Many users consider the religious tunes a reminder of their faith.

''Whenever my phone rings, I hear these verses that stress the values of hard work and honesty, and I feel closer to my religion,'' bank manager Faiz Siddaqui said.