Culture

UAE Issues Fatwa Banning Loud Vuvuzelas

By Niraj Chokshi

The United Arab Emirates has done what FIFA should have long ago: it issued a fatwa against the vuvuzela, the long, buzz-producing horn used by World Cup soccer fans to annoying effect:

[The fatwa] declares that the now-famous blast from the plastic vuvuzela is not permitted in the Gulf country if it exceeds 100 decibels -- about the sound of a passing train.

It says the typical vuvuzela blast is up to 127 decibels.

Read the full story by the Associated Press.

Related: Vuvuzela Hero, below.

About the Author

Niraj Chokshi is a former staff editor at TheAtlantic.com, where he wrote about technology. He is currently freelancing and can be reached through his personal website, NirajC.com.