The Regina City Jamia Masjid resumed broadcasting its weekly Friday call to prayer on Aug. 4 [3] after police reissued a necessary permit.
The decision follows weeks of threats and community backlash against the downtown Regina mosque. The resumption of the Adhan serves as a test of religious freedom and community tolerance in Saskatchewan.
Regina Police Service officials said that the decision to allow the broadcast was based on data. A spokesperson said, "Based on the survey feedback, we find the issue is not the sound" [2]. The police said that the permit was reissued to support mutual respect and religious freedoms within the city.
A spokesperson for the Regina City Jamia Masjid said the decision helps support mutual respect and religious freedoms in Regina [1].
The permit carries specific restrictions to manage the impact on the downtown area. According to a Regina City Council member, the Adhan is permitted to be broadcast for approximately four minutes each Friday [3].
There is a discrepancy regarding the long-term status of the permit. One report indicates that the permit is issued on a week-by-week basis and requires a new application each week [4]. Other reports simply state that the mosque received the permit to play the call to prayer on Friday without mentioning a weekly renewal process.
Despite the administrative requirements, the mosque resumed the practice this past Friday. The broadcast is limited to the Friday Jummah prayer, the most significant congregational prayer of the week for the Islamic community.
“"The decision helps support mutual respect and religious freedoms in Regina."”
The reintroduction of the Adhan on a conditional, week-by-week basis suggests that city officials are attempting to balance the constitutional right to religious expression with a volatile community climate. By linking the permit to survey data and short-term renewals, the city is treating the religious practice as a managed public utility rather than a permanent right, likely to mitigate further social friction.
