Tunisian nightclub shut down over Muslim call to prayer remix

Owner held and English DJ apologises after playing recording at Orbit festival in north-east of country

Tunisian authorities have shut down a nightclub and begun an investigation after a DJ played a remix recording of the Muslim call to prayer, an official has said.

A video, widely shared online since Sunday, shows clubbers dancing to music that includes the call to prayer at the club in the north-east town of Nabeul.

The footage sparked a storm of debate on social media.

Two European DJs played at the party on Friday as part of a music festival near the popular resort of Hammamet.

“After confirming the facts, we decided to close this nightclub” until further notice, Mnaouar Ouertani, the governor of Nabeul, told Agence France-Presse.

He said an investigation had been opened and the club’s manager detained “for violation against good morals and public outrage against modesty”.

“We will not allow attacks against religious feelings and the sacred,” Ouertani added.

Organisers of the Orbit festival apologised on Monday in a post on the event’s Facebook page, but said it took no responsibility for the offensive tune.

“Dax J is English and played the track recently in Europe” and did not realise “it might offend an audience from a Muslim country like ours”, they said.

The DJ also apologised. “I want to offer my sincere apologies to anyone who may have been offended by music that I played at Orbit festival in Tunisia on Friday,” Dax J said. “It was never my intention to upset or cause offence to anybody.”