Islamic Militants Ban Mobile Phone Ringtones

Islamic militants in Pakistan's tribal areas, which border Afghanistan have issued a decree banning music from mobile phone ringtones and vehicles in tribal areas of the country.

A spokesman for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Maulana Faqir Mohammed said, the they would not allow commuters to play music in their cars or use musical ringtones on mobile phones.

He warned that offenders would be punished according to Shariah laws. [via Cellular News. Photo illustrating Shariah law from Frontline World]

Related:

-- Mobile ringtones using Holy Quran verses are banned in Saudi Arabia

-- Religious leaders squabble over Koran ringtones

-- Muslim clerics in India: No Quran verses as cell phone ringtone

-- Egypt's Mufti bans Qur'anic ringtones

Mobile ringtones using Holy Quran verses are banned in Saudi Arabia

The Islamic Jurisprudence Council has banned the use of the verses of the Holy Quran as ringtones for mobile phones because it impinges on the sacred character of the the Holy Book, according to the Saudi Press Agency via the Khaleej Times.

“It is demeaning and degrading to the verses of the Holy Book to stop abruptly at the middle of a recitation or neglecting the recitation, as happens when they are used as ringtones in mobile phones. On the other hand, recording the verses from the Holy Quran in phone sets with the intention of recitation and listening is a virtuous act,” the scholars attending the council meeting in Makkah recently said in a statement.

During the six-day meeting, held under the chairmanship of Grand Mufti Abdul Aziz Al Asheikh, 70 Muslim dignitaries and scholars tackled a number of important issues."

Related:

-- Religious leaders squabble over Koran ringtones

-- Muslim clerics in India: No Quran verses as cell phone ringtone

-- Egypt's Mufti bans Qur'anic ringtones

Nigeria gets religious ringtones for mobile phones

The South African mobile telephony provider MTN has just launched a series of "Islamic ringtones" in Nigeria, targeting the West African country's some 70 million Muslims.

"Go express your faith," urges MTN in a full-page newspaper advertisement for its "Islamic melodies".

[via IC Publications]

Religious leaders squabble over Koran ringtones

A heated debate has broken out within one of Islam's top religious bodies over the use of Koranic verses as mobile phone ringtones. ABCNews.au reports.

"Dignitaries and scholars from the Islamic Jurisprudence Council are reportedly divided on the issue at their meeting in Islam's holiest city, Mecca.

Some scholars have denounced Koranic ringtones as a frivolity that impinges on the sacred character of the Muslim holy book.

The newspaper Al-Hayat has described debate on the issue as turbulent."

BuddhistRingtones.com: Mobile Media for The Mindful

A selection of 4 BuddhistRingtones launched today for those spirtiually inclined, offered by Zencast .

-- Buddhist Prostrations
-- Ultimate Zencast Ringtone
-- Mindfulness Bell Ringtone
-- Om Monks Ringtone

More to follow. [via digg]

Muslim clerics in India: No Quran verses as cell phone ringtone

Muslim clerics at a leading seminary in India have asked people not to use verses from the Quran as ringtones for their mobile phones, saying the practice violates Islamic law, reports the AP.

"Quran verses "are not meant for entertainment," seminary official Mohammed Asumin Qazmi said Saturday. "Anyone who persists in using these should be ostracized from society," Qazmi said.

...Ringtones with Quran verses or the call to prayers are popular among Muslims in Uttar Pradesh, India's largest state. Many users consider the religious tunes a reminder of their faith."

Previously, an imam at a Mosque in Saudi Arabia issued a fatwa against mobile phones after one rang during prayers on Saturday, playing Arabic pop music.

"The fatwa states that the next time somebody allows their phone to go off in the congregation, the imam could throw the guilty person out of the mosque."

There should be more Carnatic songs in Tamil, says Minister Durai Murugan

Music is that which integrates and gives peace to the mind, said Durai Murugan, Minister for Public Works, reports The Hindu.

"Expressing regret that the crowd coming to listen to Indian claslsical Carnatic music was dwindling, he said that the reason was that music had not been simplified and taken to the masses.

"There must be more songs in Tamil," the Minister said, pointing out that music first has to attract people. A CD titled A Meeting of Minds was released on the occasion and Carnatic ringtones were also launched by the Minister.

Dialling the number he placed the mobile near the microphone and enabled the audience to listen to a piece of Asai Mugam Marandu Poche by Rukmini Rajagopalan.

Your own pastor's voicetone for your mobile phone

In an article from The Philadelphia Inquirer on how religions around the world are harnessing new technology to spread the messages, this part caught my eye:

Faith Mobile will soon launch a teen portal FaithXL. FaithFone is planning to partner with ministries to use to provide ringtones that would be their own pastor's voice reciting a Bible verse, said Larry Witherspoon, managing director. The ministry will net a percentage of the profits."

Holy ringtones for Dutch mobiles

A new website has been launched in the Netherlands to allow Christians to propagate their faith via their mobile phones.

The website -www.gospelringtone.net — features almost 1,000 Gospel, Christian Rap and other religious melodies to elevate the soul. [via Expatica]

The first religious ringtones I ever read about (in 2003) came from Holland as well, offered by their Roman Catholic church. Users could select from 15 different ringtone-hymns, including Ave Maria and Salve Regina.

Click here for links to other spritual ringtones from different religious backgrounds.

Nuns use ringtones to attract vocations

The website of the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity in Wisconsin is offering free ringtones featuring a woman singing the words "called to be", which is part of the nuns' "Peace and All Good" theme song.

"We hope our simple, beautiful 'called to be' ringtone may inspire young women to discover and discern their unique call from God," vocations promoter Sr Julie Ann Sheahan told the the National Catholic Reporter.

The ringtones are linked to a TV ad campaign, which was prompted by a marketing study undertaken by the sisters. The study showed that television programming with religious or moral messages reaches their target group of college-age women who are open to the call to religious life. "

Other devotional ringtones:

-- Buddhist monk develops "dhamma doctrine", or morality ringtones

-- Devotional Ringtones and Ringback tones grow in India

-- Ringtone and Logo Specials for World Youth Day

-- Dwango Wireless Gets Spiritual with Ringtones

-- Christian Ringtones

-- «Divine Calling»

-- Ave Maria ringtone

Not to every religions' liking though:

-- Mufti bans Qur'anic ringtones

Buddhist monk develops "dhamma doctrine", or morality ringtones

According to News24.com, a Thai Buddhist monk has developed "dhamma doctrine", or morality, ringtones for cellphones that will be available on all domestic cellphone networks next week. [via Engadget]

"The ringtones, developed by popular monk Phra Phayom Kalayano, will consist of Buddhist mantras such as:

-- "Anger is stupidity; fury is madness";

-- "Compose yourself before answering this call";

-- "Don't let mobile phone conversations lead to premature sex and pregnancy."

The dhamma ringtones can be downloaded from the internet, with all profits going to the Wat Suan Kaew Foundation, which provides charity for the poor."

Related: - Devotional Ringtones and Ringback tones grow in India

Mufti bans Qur'anic ringtones

Egypt's grand mufti, Ali Gomaa, has deemed the use of Qur'anic verses as cellphone ringtones as insulting to Islam, Egyptian newspapers reported on Sunday, according to News24.com.

"Such a use is unacceptable because it trivialises the Holy Book," the cleric, the highest Egyptian authority on Islamic law, told students in Alexandria.

"Therefore it is haram", or prohibited by Islam, he added.

Egyptian newspapers carry scores of advertisements offering downloadable ringing tones ranging from Qur'anic verses to jokes and the latest Arab pop songs. "

Ringtone and Logo Specials for World Youth Day

On 16 August, Cologne will host World Youth Day - a first for Germany, in presence of the new German Pope Benedict XVI. And on this occasion T Online will be offering religious ringtones and logos.

Ringtone content such as church bells, monastic chants, "Laudato si", a vocal "Hallelujah" and "Go tell it on the mountain" will be available as of August 8 at www.t-online.de/wjt, as well as logos of a Madonna, a dove of peace and the Christian fish symbol. [via noticias]

Related:

-- Devotional Ringtones and Ringback tones grow in India - For people who consume devotional music - the mobile phone has today become a direct way of carrying their beliefs and faiths with them.

-- Dwango Wireless Gets Spiritual with Ringtones - Multi-faith media company Beliefnet.com has called on Dwango Wireless to enable the delivery of a suite of spiritual-theme wireless content

-- Christian Ringtones - "Young Christians in the UK are buying polyphonic ringtones of their favourite Christian artists as religious rock takes up modern technology".

-- Divine Calling - A mobile ringtone service offering top hits of the contemporary Christian music, gospel and worship genre.

-- Ave Maria ringtone - To inspire users into contemplation, the Roman Catholic church in Holland offers religious ringtones. Users can select from 15 different ringtone-hymns, including Ave Maria and Salve Regina.

Devotional Ringtones and Ringback tones grow in India

... The affinity for religious ringtones and ringback tones is growing in India, according to The Economic Times.

"For people who consume devotional music - the mobile phone has today become a direct way of carrying their beliefs and faiths with them," he says. According to Mandar Thakur, the general manager of soundbuzz India, "The devotional category is currently small in the range of 1.5 per cent to 2 per cent of the total ringtones market, but it is the ringback tones category that is witnessing the most action."

"We expect the devotional ringback tones to grow to about 20 per cent by first quarter next year," Thakur says.

Dwango Wireless Gets Spiritual with Ringtones

Multi-faith media company Beliefnet.com has called on Dwango Wireless to enable the delivery of a suite of spiritual-theme wireless content, reports Wireless Week.

"Dwango has agreed to develop ringtones, images and games under the Beliefnet mobile brand. Wireless content will be available for purchase at mobile.beliefnet.com. The multi-faith content will span Christian, popular, inspirational and world music."

Related:

-- Christian Ringtones - "Young Christians in the UK are buying polyphonic ringtones of their favourite Christian artists as religious rock takes up modern technology".

-- Divine Calling - A mobile ringtone service offering top hits of the contemporary Christian music, gospel and worship genre.

-- Ave Maria ringtone - To inspire users into contemplation, the Roman Catholic church in Holland offers religious ringtones. Users can select from 15 different ringtone-hymns, including Ave Maria and Salve Regina.

Christian Ringtones

According to Chris Cole, chief executive of the Christian radio station Cross Rhythms, "young Christians in the UK are buying polyphonic ringtones of their favourite Christian artists as religious rock takes up modern technology". [via an article in The Guardian on rock stars and faith]

Related articles:

-- Divine Calling - A mobile ringtone service offering top hits of the contemporary Christian music, gospel and worship genre.

-- Ave Maria ringtone - To inspire users into contemplation, the Roman Catholic church in Holland offers religious ringtones. Users can select from 15 different ringtone-hymns, including Ave Maria and Salve Regina.

«Divine Calling»

Faith West has announced the launch of «Divine Calling», a mobile ringtone service offering top hits of the contemporary Christian music, gospel and worship genre.

Divine Calling will be introduced first to U.S. Cellular customers and will roll out on additional carriers throughout the year, according to Business Wire.

Related stories:

-- To inspire users into contemplation, the Roman Catholic church in Holland a couple of years ago, launched a religious ringtones service, enabling users to select from 15 different ringtone-hymns, including Ave Maria and Salve Regina.

-- A Taiwanese handset maker designed a limited-edition model that comes with a Matsu holograph on the back of the phone, ringtones featuring religious chants and Matsu wallpaper for the display pad. Matsu is the Chinese goddess of the sea.

Ave Maria ringtone

To inspire users into contemplation, the Roman Catholic church in Holland offers religious ringtones. Users can select from 15 different ringtone-hymns, including Ave Maria and Salve Regina.