When I moved into my new apartment near a mosque, everything was quiet. But a month ago, they fixed up the mosque and put a loudspeaker outside. Now, they sing loudly and ask for money all day to finish building.
The noise wakes me up early every morning. It’s hard to work from home with all this noise going on. I’ve never been so frustrated. Why do they have to disturb everyone for money?
I don’t have a problem with Islam. Two of my best friends are Muslims, and they agree this noise is too much. I tried talking to them about it, but it didn’t change.
I thought about telling the Lagos Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but I’m scared. Most people here are Muslims, including my landlord and neighbors who are not from my tribe. I don’t want them to treat me badly because of this.
Every day, I feel stuck. I want peace at home again. But I also don’t want to cause more problems. It’s hard to focus and feel calm with all this noise.
Things escalated last week when I finally confronted some of the mosque-goers. They were collecting donations right outside my window, and I couldn’t take it anymore. I told them how their noise was disrupting my life, but they just argued back, saying they had the right to practice their religion.
It turned into a heated argument. They accused me of being intolerant, and I accused them of being inconsiderate. It got so loud that neighbors came out to see what was happening. Some took their side, saying I should respect their religious activities. Others agreed with me, saying the noise was too much.
Since then, tensions have been high. Whenever I see them going to the mosque, there’s this uncomfortable exchange of looks. They’ve even started speaking louder when passing by my apartment, almost as if to spite me.
I’m at my wit’s end. I just want to live peacefully in my own home. But it seems like this issue is tearing the community apart. I don’t know what to do next.
