London-born DJ Dax J has been sentenced to a year in jail for playing a Muslim call to prayer remix over the weekend at the Orbit Festival in Nabeul in the north east of Tunisia.
#Tunisia condemns #Berlin based, #British #DJ Dax J to 1 year in jail over #Muslim #Adhan (prayer call) dance remix#art #religion #freedom pic.twitter.com/CWtGQqWJ0c
— Mourad TEYEB (مــراد التـائـب) (@MouradTeyeb) April 7, 2017
Footage of the video went viral and sparked a religious row. The Berlin-based Dax J was charged with ‘violation against good morals and public outrage against modesty’. Nearly 99 per cent of Tunisia is Muslim.
Meanwhile, Nabeul’s governor, Mnaouar Ouertani, has decided that the club would ‘remain closed’ until further notice.
Allegedly, Dax J has since received multiple death threats. He has fled the country before the court case was heard. The organisers of the Orbit Festival have issued a disclaimer to the playing of the ‘offensive song’ but have apologised on the event’s Facebook page in French.
The organisers stated that the DJ did not intend to cause offence. They also said: ‘We don’t want to get involved in religious debates. We never intended to sully the image of Islam, which is a religion of peace and forgiveness. So friends, forgive, love and don’t forget that music is the answer.’
The jail sentence opens up discussions around freedom of expression, tolerance for religious values and the respect for human rights. What do you think?