The Muslim phone
We bought Bibi's phone a year or so ago in Dubai. Its one of those fancy pda phones with pocket pc Windows functionality, a built-in video camera blah blah. When I first switched it on it automatically installed a swathe of Islamic applications, the most crucial one being an automatic muezzin call. Five times a day the phone turns into a mini-minaret: what sounds like a broken-hearted man pleading with anyone within earshot to get thyself to the mosque forthwith. The interface was also populated with arabic script that was a devil to delete.
I thought I had sorted everything out until 4am this morning, when the phone started to chant again. There must be some kind of code buried deep in the phone's firmware which means it is destined to be the call-to-prayer in our lives. With a very loud and lambasting muezzin a few metres away from our house (its less a call-to-prayer, and more a We're keeping this loudspeaker on as long as we like) its all a bit much for we Buddhist infidels. Now there's a thought - what would a Buddhist phone do?
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11 comments:
A Buddhist phone, would have jingling sounds of bells followed by temple hymns once a day. Come to think of it, why not try to reinstall the OS, I guess its either win2003 or mobile win 5.0, whichever it is, you could always back up the phone data and sms, and reinstall a clean OS.
Maybe you should heed the call
Cool blog.
if u dont like the cell phone do not buy it from DUBAI
its their own country with oun application
u can buy it from anywhere else
zYo...
I live in Saudi now. Although I'm muslim i dont consider myself devout or even religious in any way. I was brought up in Canada so that might explain it.
Here's the Saudi version of Muezzin entertainment. Every 3 or 4 city blocks must have a minaret. Come azzan time, it's shear audio terror INSIDE your house. It's eardrum-busting. It's so loud the heart starts to beat fast. "Muezzins" in my neighborhood sound like the devil! As u said, any half-hearted desperate nutcase can land that job. It's really really sad.
I was on the phone the other day with someone in Zurich. It was (of course!) during prayer time. He couldn't hear a thing I was saying "who is that lunatic shouting at your end!!".
The shops close 5 times a day. I got caught once standing up and walking around in a shopping mall during prayer time. I was promptly stopped by a cop and asked to sit down, at least, if I choose not to pray!!! I just walked out fuming.
Sorry I'm in a complaining mood!
PS. Say did u go out to enjoy the Abuja Carnival? It ends this Sunday.
-Hani
give the phone to a mullah in abuja....there are lots of them that will be more than happy to heed such call through a mobile phone.
by the way, why should a call to prayer be installed in a mobile phone for God's sake, what if you are in a meeting and the call to prayer rings out.............stop the meeting and get out?
Buddhist phone would have an Om-ing device, innit.
What a tremendously interesting question, Jeremy! This requires some thought...
To answer my own question - a Zen Buddhist phone would ring with the sound of one hand clapping..
Oh boo, J. That's trite and worse, hackneyed. Better!!
Should I be sympathatic had a really good laugh. Sorry. Not fun I know. Have been reading your blog been very over worked and underpaid.
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