Entertainment

A Tunisian court has sentenced a British DJ for playing a track sampling the Muslim call to prayer

Dax J left the country before his conviction.
Dax J left the country before his conviction. Dax J left the country before his conviction.

London-born DJ Dax J has been charged with public indecency and offending public morality after playing a dance remix of the call to prayer during his set in the predominantly Islamic Tunisia.

The footage from the Orbit Festival in Nabeul where he was performing on Sunday sent shockwaves through the orthodox country, and the DJ’s Twitter page was soon closed after he received death threats.

After the video was posted on social media, the club was forced to shut down and an investigation was launched, which has culminated in Dax J being charged by a Tunisian court. According to the BBC, the DJ left the country before the court case, but was still sentenced to a year in prison in Tunisia.

Il est l’un des plus attendus, et le premier …Il est l’un des plus attendus, et le premier arrivé ! Dax J est en Tunisie les amis !

According to the AFP news agency, the court has dismissed charges against the nightclub owner and event organiser, but the prosecution has since appealed.

Earlier this week, Orbit Festival posted its apologies for the incident on Facebook but did not accept any responsibility. It said in French: “We do not want to involve ourselves in the religious debate.”

The BBC reports that Dax J has apologised for playing the music, saying: “It was never my intention to upset or cause offence to anybody.”

His Soundcloud page says he runs his own studio in Berlin where he also works as a sound and mastering engineer, as well as touring around the world as a DJ.