An Islamic edict in the United Arab Emirates has decreed that vuvuzela trumpets that blare above 100 decibels are religiously forbidden, a local daily reported on Friday.

"If they are loud enough to damage hearing, vuvuzelas are haram," or forbidden, The National newspaper quoted the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments as saying in a fatwa, or religious edict.

"Importers and traders... must ensure that its power is not over 100 decibels so as to avoid damaging people's hearing," said the top fatwa authority in the United Arab Emirates, The National reported.

It said that the horns can be used only in stadiums if they pose no harm, the paper said.

The tuneless, deafening plastic vuvuzelas have become the defining sound of South Africa's World Cup, leaving television networks hunting for ways to filter out the constant blare.

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