Muslim call to prayer can now be broadcast in NYC without a permit
2 min read
The Muslim call to prayer will be more freely heard in New York City under guidelines released Tuesday by Mayor Eric Adams to promote inclusivity.
Adams said mosques will no longer require a permit to broadcast the Islamic call to prayer, or adhan, on Fridays and at dusk during Ramadan. Friday is Ramadan’s holy day, and Muslims break their fast at dusk.
Adams said the police department’s community affairs section will work with mosques to disseminate the new requirements and adjust adhan equipment to suitable decibel levels. The mayor’s administration says churches can transmit up to 10 decibels over ambient sound.
“For too long, there has been a feeling that our communities were not allowed to amplify their calls to prayer,” Adams said. Today, we are removing red tape and stating that mosques and institutions of worship can intensify their call to prayer on Fridays and Ramadan without a permit.”
At a City Hall news conference with Muslim leaders, Adams said Muslim New Yorkers “will not live in the shadows of the American dream while I am the mayor of the city of New York.”
The adhan is common in majority-Muslim nations but rare in the US.
Minneapolis officials made headlines last year by allowing mosques to broadcast the adhan.
The adhan proclaims God mighty and Muhammad his messenger. One of the Five Pillars of Islam requires men to pray five times a day at the nearest mosque. Women are not obligated.
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“The sound of the adhan is not just a call to prayer; it is a call to unity, reflection, and community,” said Council on American-Islamic Relations New York executive director Afaf Nasher. “We believe this will increase understanding and appreciation of Muslim values and traditions.”
Queens Ideal Islamic School administrator Somaia Ferozi said New York City’s new guidelines convey a great message to her children.
“Our children are reminded of who they are when they hear the adhan,” remarked Adams’ news conference attendee Ferozi. “Having that echo in a New York City neighbourhood will make them feel accepted.”
Adams, a Democrat, has extensive ties to church leaders from numerous traditions and promotes religion in public life.
He has frightened civil libertarians by opposing church-state separation.
The state is the body. Adams told an interfaith gathering earlier this year that church is the heart. Take the heart out, the body dies.”
At the time, a mayor official said Adams meant faith informs his activities.
