Regina mosque invites neighbours’ feedback about call to prayer

Florence Hwang Regina Leader-Post The call to prayer for one Regina mosque will remain paused while awaiting feedback from its community and neighbours, says director M Anisur Rahaman. The mosque — Regina City Jamia Masjid — is located downtown on the 1900 block of McIntyre Street. Rahaman says he wants to invite surrounding businesses, property owners and residents to express their views before the mosque resumes a weekly call to prayer, which was [...] The post Regina mosque invites neighbours’ feedback about call to prayer first appeared on Prince Albert Daily Herald .

Florence Hwang Regina Leader-Post The call to prayer for one Regina mosque will remain paused while awaiting feedback from its community and neighbours, says director M Anisur Rahaman. The mosque — Regina City Jamia Masjid — is located downtown on the 1900 block of McIntyre Street. Rahaman says he wants to invite surrounding businesses, property owners and residents to express their views before the mosque resumes a weekly call to prayer, which was halted after its introduction on June 19.

An open house is to be held Friday at 1910 McIntyre Street from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. A survey has been prepared and will take only a couple of minutes to fill out, he noted. “I think it would be more reasonable if they came in person because we know that those who come are more serious,” Rahaman said in a Tuesday interview.

“Every response will be formally submitted to Regina Police Services, making each answer part of the official record. Participants are required to provide only their postal code; names remain confidential.” The Adhan, an Islamic call to prayer, typically lasts three to five minutes and is traditionally broadcast five times a day using outdoor loudspeakers (at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and nightfall).

Friday is the main service of the week and, in Regina, the downtown mosque is looking to broadcast only on Fridays at noon, according to the director. While Rahaman said the community’s response to the prayer was mostly positive, there was some negative feedback. “We also received a phone call saying that they are coming to take the speaker out from the rooftop,” he said.

“Another phone call we received is saying that we have to stop this call to prayer because this is a Christian country.” There are four loudspeakers mounted on the mosque’s building. Negative feedback The Regina Police Service (RPS) has checked on the downtown Muslim community due to social media backlash about the mosque’s plans to broadcast its three-minute call to prayer, noted Rahaman.

In an Instagram post dated June 22, the RPS said after it issued a permit to Regina City Jamia Masjid to amplify its call to prayer, police were aware of “public discussion,” including “threats being made in relation to this practice.” “In response, an enhanced police presence will be visible around Muslim places of gathering. Threats will be taken seriously and investigated under recently enhanced Canadian hate crimes legislation,” read the post.

Police say they consider the following criteria when issuing permits: length of sound, area (residential, mixed use, adjunct to residential and other zones), time of day and sound pressure (loudness). “Based on information provided to the RPS, the request falls within bylaw requirements,” states the post. “The current permit is in place until July 10, 2026 at which time the City of Regina and RPS will review the application.”

The application will be in place until Aug. 10, said the mosque director. Community support Rahaman says there has been a lot of support from various faith organizations in the community. “We received lots of emails with the positive feedback that what we are doing is good and bringing a multi-faith diversity and multicultural diversity in the Regina downtown,” he said, adding that some messages of support were posted to social media.

“(They said): ‘Don’t feel you are alone. We are also with you. Whatever you need from us.’”

At least one Anglican bishop is showing support as well. Diocese of Qu’Appelle Bishop Helen Kennedy says she thinks there needs to be respect for religious freedoms, adding that the Islamic call to worship shouldn’t impact most people. “It’s not something that affects my life if I hear it on a Friday, just as it doesn’t affect somebody’s life if they hear a church bell on a Sunday,” she said.

The Regina-based Qu’Appelle diocese covers a large section of the province from south of Saskatoon down to the Canadian-American border. In a statement issued June 27, Kennedy offered solidarity with her Muslim neighbours and affirmed their “dignity, safety and rightful place within our shared communities.” “Our communities are not strengthened by suspicion or hostility,” read the statement.

“They are strengthened when neighbours learn one another’s names, listen to one another’s stories, and recognize the image of God reflected in the varied faces of humanity.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, several Canadian cities made exceptions to noise bylaws to allow for Adhan to be broadcast during Ramadan. These cities included Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton, London, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver and other major centres, according to a Canadian Press story published in May 2020.

fHwang@postmedia.com