Minneapolis mosques have been given permission by the Minneapolis City Council to broadcast the Islamic call to prayer year round, which has some in the Muslim community celebrating. Others, however, complain about the accompanying time restrictions.
The Islamic call to prayer typically happens five times per day beginning at dawn, and as The Gateway Pundit noted, “includes Arabic words like ‘Allahu akbar.'”
Some Muslims, however, are upset that the calls can only begin at 7 a.m. and must end no later than 10 p.m.
They believe it may violate their constitutional rights to practice their religion.
The Star Tribune notes that the call to prayer is already often heard in Somali communities in the city, especially “inside Somali malls and mosques.”
However, the outlet reports that a Mohamed Ibrahim, the deputy executive director of the the Council on American-Islamic Relations Minnesota (CAIR-MN) said the “time restriction violates Muslims’ constitutional rights.”
He added that the “right to generally practice religion supersedes the city’s ordinance,” and could be challenged in court.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), on the national level, is known to have connections to the terrorist group Hamas via its leadership. The Anti-Defamation League, which has been heavily criticized for carrying water for the American left, claims that “some of CAIR’s leadership have used inflammatory anti-Zionist rhetoric that on a number of occasions has veered into antisemitic tropes related to Jewish influence over the media or political affairs.”
Minneapolis, with a population of just over 420,000, is home to 150,000 Muslims.
CBS Minnesota explains that the move was “pushed for by Councilmember Jamal Osman,” and a result “mosques will not need to apply for permits to broadcast outside their doors” so long as noise ordinances are followed.
The noise must be kept to 70 decibels or less, about the volume of a kitchen appliance.
The public presence of the call to prayer in Minneapolis grew in 2020, when Mayor Jacob Frey announced that he would allow a mosque to play the prayer over loudspeakers during the month of Ramadan.
“At a time when physical distancing requires we pray apart, it’s incumbent on leaders to create a sense of togetherness where we can,” Frey said in a press release at the time, referencing the lockdowns governments instituted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Adhan provides solidarity and comfort – both of which are essential during a time of crisis. As our Muslim community prepares for Ramadan, we hope the broadcast will offer a measure of stability and reassure our entire city that we are all very much in this together.”
