- Mayor Eric Adams of New York City has announced guidelines allowing mosques to broadcast the Muslim call to prayer without needing a special permit. This applies to Fridays and sundown during Ramadan.
- The police department’s community affairs bureau will ensure adherence to appropriate noise levels, as the mayor emphasises inclusivity and the freedom of worship.
Mayor Eric Adams unveiled guidelines on Tuesday that are intended to cultivate an atmosphere of inclusiveness. According to these fresh regulations, mosques will no longer be obligated to secure a special permit in order to audibly broadcast the Islamic call to prayer, known as the adhan, on Fridays and at sunset during the sacred month of Ramadan. Given that Friday holds significance as the traditional Islamic holy day, and considering that Muslims conclude their fast at dusk during Ramadan, these specific times were chosen.
Mayor Adams specified that the police department’s community affairs bureau will collaborate with mosques to communicate these novel guidelines. This collaboration will also ensure that the devices employed to amplify the adhan are configured to appropriate decibel levels. Mayor Adams underscored, “For an extended period, a sentiment has persisted that our communities were hindered from magnifying their calls to prayer. Today, we are streamlining bureaucratic procedures and unequivocally stating that mosques and places of worship possess the freedom to amplify their call to prayer on Fridays and throughout Ramadan without necessitating a permit.”
Following his decision to permit the broadcast of the adhan during specified periods on Fridays and throughout Ramadan in New York City, Mayor Eric Adams addresses the press alongside leaders from the Muslim community.
During a press conference at City Hall, Mayor Adams was flanked by leaders from the Muslim community. He assured Muslim New Yorkers that, while he holds the mayoral office in New York City, they “will not remain in obscurity with regards to the American dream.”
While the adhan is a familiar auditory element in predominantly Muslim nations, its occurrence is less frequent in the United States. Notably, officials in Minneapolis garnered attention last year when they introduced measures to permit mosques to publicly broadcast the adhan.
