DJ to be charged in Tunisia for Muslim prayer remix

TUNIS, Tunisia — A British DJ faces charges in Tunisia of “offending public morality” after his set at a nightclub included a remixed recording of the Muslim call to prayer, a judicial source said Tuesday.

A video of the alleged incident, widely shared online since Sunday, shows clubbers dancing at the weekend in the northeastern town of Hammamet to music that includes the call to prayer.

The footage sparked a storm of debate on social media.

Ylyes Miladi, a spokesman for a court in Grombalia, 40 kilometres (25 miles) southeast of Tunis, told AFP that three people including the DJ and the club owner were expected to be charged with “offending public morality”.

He said the DJ had not yet been located by authorities.

Offending public morality is punishable by up to six months in prison.

The man in question, who goes by the stage name Dax J, has issued an apology, as have the organisers of the event.

Tunisia’s religious affairs ministry said in a statement, “Mocking the opinions and religious principles of Tunisians is absolutely unacceptable.”