Should the Muslim Call to Prayer be Broadcast in American Cities? by Cory Stockwell

By Cory Stockwell, First Things, 8 . 22 . 23

Cory Stockwell is a translator and a lecturer in comparative literature at the University of Minnesota.

In April, the Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously to remove the noise ordinance that restricted religious sounds to between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. The measure, as reported by the Star Tribune, allows the adhan—the Muslim call to prayer—to “be broadcast from speakers atop the city’s 20 mosques at any time of the day,” making Minneapolis “the first major American city to allow all five daily calls to prayer to be amplified outdoors at any time, including the early morning hours before sunrise and late evening hours after sunset.” Mayor Jacob Frey signed the bill into law in a ceremony at a local Islamic center, surrounded by Muslim leaders.

The ceremony was also attended by supportive Christian and Jewish leaders, and the bill was widely welcomed, drawing “no organized community opposition.” …

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