Yodeler fined for upsetting Muslims in Austria

From The Austrian Independent:

An Austrian has been fined for yodelling while mowing his lawn, according to a report.

The Kronen Zeitung newspaper claims Helmut G. was told by a court in Graz, Styria, that his yodelling offended his next-door Muslim neighbours.

The men reportedly accused the 63-year-old of having tried to mock and imitate the call of the Muezzin. The daily paper writes the Austrian was fined 800 Euros after judges ruled he could have tried to offend them and ridicule their belief. The Muslims, whose nationalities were not revealed by the report, were right in the middle of a prayer when the Austrian started to yodel.

"It was not my intention to imitate or insult them. I simply started to yodel a few tunes because I was in such a good mood" the man told the newspaper today.

It gets better:

The Muslim worshippers, meeting in a private house, use loudspeakers in their backyard during their prayers!

Helmut G. is being invited to talk shows and the incident is causing a stir in Graz.

(h/t Silke)