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New rule allows NYC mosques to broadcast Muslim prayer call without requiring a permit
By
Arya Sundaram
Published Aug 29, 2023
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By
Arya Sundaram
Published Aug 29, 2023
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New NYPD rules will allow mosques in New York City to broadcast the Muslim call to prayer without a permit.
Under the rules change, broadcast of the adhan — as the chant is called in Arabic — will be allowed every Friday from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. and every evening during the holy month of Ramadan, the yearly holiday of fasting, prayer, reflection and community service. Under prior rules, permits were required.
“For too long, there has been confusion about which communities are allowed to amplify their calls to prayer,” Mayor Eric Adams said in a Tuesday press conference at City Hall. “Today, we are cutting red tape and saying clearly, if you are a mosque or house of worship of any kind, you do not have to apply for a permit to amplify your call to Friday prayer.”
He added, “You are free to live your faith in New York City.”
The new policies take aim at Muslims, whose numbers are expanding both city and countrywide. Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the world and North America, according to the Pew Research Center.
The New York City metropolitan area is home to one of the largest concentrations of Muslim residents in the U.S., according to a report earlier this year by the CUNY Graduate Center for the New York City Districting Commission.
While the U.S. Census doesn't ask about religion, the report estimates that some 450,000 Muslims live in the city, with the caveat that the number is “very likely” an overestimate.
For Ramadan this year — it ended in April — Minneapolis became the first major U.S. city to allow the adhan to be broadcast five times a day.
The NYPD Community Affairs Bureau and local Muslim leaders will work with mosques across the city to communicate the new rules and ensure that any speakers used to broadcast the call to prayer will be set to the proper volume and follow the city’s noise code.
Tagged
muslim
nypd
new york
Race And Justice Unit
eric adams
Ramadan
Arya Sundaram
Arya is a reporter covering race and justice. Got a tip? Email: [email protected] or reach Arya on Signal at 512-650-8767.
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