CAIRO: An Egyptian muezzin has been suspended by the authorities after being accused of intoning “Prayer is better than Facebook” in his Fajr (early morning) call for people to pray.

The action was taken against Mahmud Al-Moghazi, who denies the charge, after Muslims complained that he had altered the traditional call to prayer, an official told AFP on Monday.

Villagers in Beheira province north of Cairo reported Moghazi to the Ministry of Awqaf, or religious affairs, charging that he replaced the usual “Prayer is better than sleep” dawn call to the faithful with “Prayer is better than Facebook.”

Ministry official Sabri Ebada told AFP the incident happened on Saturday and confirmed that the muezzin had since been suspended.

“The case will be referred to the prosecution service which will see that the law is applied,” Ebada said.

Moghazi appeared late on Sunday on a private channel and denounced the accusation as “lies.”

He accused Muslim Brotherhood of being behind it, saying the group wanted to “get me out of the mosque” for obstructing its activities.

“I forbid any group to use the mosque, I forbid unauthorized courses” in religion, he said, adding that he had begun a hunger strike in protest at his treatment.