UAE declares fatwa on vuvuzelas By QMI Agency

The United Arab Emirates is ordering that vuvuzelas, the long plastic horns that have been blasting throughout the World Cup games, be kept under 100 decibels or else they are religiously forbidden.

"If they are loud enough to damage hearing, vuvuzelas are haram (forbidden)," the UAE's General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments told Dubai's The National newspaper. Back in the late '80s, author Salman Rushdie received worldwide attention when a fatwa called for his execution after he wrote "The Satanic Verses."

The ruling also states that the horns can only be used in stadiums and that sounds louder than 100 decibels can damage a person's hearing — sometimes permanently. Other sounds that measure at 100 decibels include jackhammers, lawnmowers and motorcycles revving.

The standard vuvuzela could reach up to 127 decibels, which is around the same as hearing a jet take off.