Copenhagen: Denmark’s government is considering a nationwide ban on the public broadcast of the Islamic call to prayer, or Azaan, and has launched a legal review to determine whether such a measure would comply with the country’s constitution.
Immigration Minister Morten Bodskov said the government would examine whether a nationwide prohibition could be introduced without breaching constitutional protections for religious freedom.
“The call to prayer should not be heard over Danish rooftops,” Bodskov told Danish news agency Ritzau on Thursday, June 25.
“It has no place in Denmark, and you shouldn’t be in any doubt whether you’ve ended up in a suburb of Islamabad when you walk around Denmark,” he said.
The minister also claimed that what he described as a gradual “Islamisation” of Denmark was taking up too much public space.
Third attempt to introduce a ban
The proposal marks the third attempt by a Danish immigration minister to establish a legal framework for banning the public broadcast of the Azaan, following similar efforts in 2020 and 2025.
Denmark’s constitution protects the right to practise religion publicly, meaning any nationwide ban would need to meet constitutional requirements. The country already has laws restricting anti-democratic preaching and support for banned organisations.
Existing rules
Only a small number of mosques in Denmark are believed to broadcast the Azaan publicly. In Copenhagen and several other municipalities, local noise regulations already prohibit outdoor loudspeaker broadcasts.
The Grand Mosque of Copenhagen does not broadcast the Azaan outdoors under an agreement with local authorities.
The proposal comes as Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s government continues to pursue some of Europe’s toughest immigration policies. Earlier this year, Denmark passed a law banning Islamic full-face veils, including the burqa and niqab, in public spaces. Authorities have also directed educational institutions to remove designated prayer rooms.
Supporters say a nationwide ban would create uniform rules across Denmark, while critics argue it unfairly targets one religion and could face legal challenges.
Around 270,000 Muslims live in Denmark, which has a population of about six million and approximately 100 mosques.
Wider context
The Azaan is recited five times a day to call Muslims to prayer and is commonly broadcast through loudspeakers from mosque minarets in many Muslim-majority countries.
In parts of the United Kingdom and Germany, authorities regulate the timing and volume of Azaan broadcasts to reduce disturbance to nearby residents rather than banning the practice altogether.
