Denmark’s immigration minister said the Islamic call to prayer “has no place in Denmark” as the government prepares another attempt to restrict public mosque broadcasts amid debate over religion, noise rules and integration.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Denmark is moving toward a nationwide ban on public broadcasts of the Islamic call to prayer, with Immigration Minister Morten Bødskov arguing that amplified calls from mosques and minarets do not belong over Danish neighborhoods.
Bødskov, a member of the center-left Social Democrats, confirmed the effort as the government again takes up a proposal that previous Social Democratic ministers pursued in 2020 and 2025.
“The call to prayer should not be heard over Danish rooftops. It has no place in Denmark, and you shouldn’t be in any doubt whether you’ve ended up in a suburb of Islamabad when you walk around Denmark,” Bødskov told news outlets.
The issue has drawn renewed attention as critics argue that repeated public broadcasts of the call to prayer, known in Arabic as the adhan, are disruptive and show disregard for surrounding communities. A Libs of TikTok post also circulated remarks tied to the debate.
The adhan is traditionally performed five times a day. In Denmark, some cities, including Copenhagen, already restrict public broadcasts through local noise bylaws.
According to the London Daily Telegraph, a national ban could face legal obstacles because Denmark’s protections for religious freedom may complicate efforts to prohibit the practice outright.
Denmark has made exceptions in other areas, including restrictions on anti-democratic preaching and funding from prohibited groups. Other European countries, including Germany and Britain, already limit the hours when mosques may broadcast the call to prayer and enforce volume restrictions intended to avoid disturbing non-Muslim residents. A TalkTV post also highlighted the wider European debate.
France has also seen public opposition to Islamic calls to prayer, including concerns raised in a Breitbart London post.
The BBC has translated the call to prayer as “God is great, there is no God but Allah. Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. Come to prayer.”
Some critics dispute that translation, arguing that the phrase “Allahu akbar” is more accurately understood as “[our] God is greater” rather than “God is great.”
Christian Concern and other critics have argued that the adhan should not be treated the same as church bells because, in their view, it is not simply a call to worship but a public declaration of Islamic belief. The group has said the call to prayer is “not prayer directed to Allah, but a public declaration that Allah is God and that Muhammad is his messenger.”
Supporters of a ban frame the proposal as a matter of national identity, public order and community standards. Opponents are expected to raise religious freedom concerns as Denmark considers whether a national restriction can be written in a way that withstands legal scrutiny.