REGINA: A Regina mosque has temporarily suspended broadcasting the Muslim call to prayer from its rooftop speakers after facing public backlash and receiving several hostile comments and threats.
M Anisur Rahaman, director of the Regina City Jamia Masjid in downtown Regina, announced the decision during a press conference on Friday. He revealed that following a post on a local social media account last week, complaints began pouring in, with some individuals threatening to forcefully dismantle the speakers.
“Because of the social media and negative comments we have received — and a few of them are actually threats and not very positive — as a Muslim, we don’t feel comfortable,” Rahaman stated. He added that the mosque administration decided it was best to pause the broadcast until they could properly engage with the surrounding neighborhood.
The mosque had initially started amplifying the weekly Friday prayer call, known as the adhan, just last week. The three-minute broadcast had received full authorization from local police as it complied with municipal noise bylaws, and the mosque held a valid noise permit running until July 10. Following the online backlash, police deployed a cruiser near the building and warned that any threats against Muslim places of gathering would be investigated with the utmost seriousness.
While a small group of protesters gathered outside the facility on Friday, local interfaith leaders came out strongly in support of the mosque. Mike Sinclair, a priest at the neighboring St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral, emphasized that he had no issues with the prayer call. “I hear bells from other churches. We sometimes ring bells… I don’t see why that would be any different than a call to prayer,” Sinclair remarked, expressing disappointment that the mosque felt pressured to justify its presence. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Regina also issued a statement strongly opposing all forms of prejudice and intimidation directed toward the Muslim community.
Rahaman stated that the mosque plans to conduct a survey among surrounding businesses, senior housing residents, and organizations to gather community input. If the feedback is broadly supportive, the mosque hopes to safely resume the rooftop call to prayer next month.
