Denmark Mulls Banning Islamic Call To Prayer (Worthy News In-Depth)

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

COPENHAGEN (Worthy News) – Denmark’s immigration minister wants to ban the Islamic public call to prayer, saying “Islamization” has taken up “too much of the public space” and that parts of the Nordic nation resemble “a suburb of Islamabad.”

Minister Morten Bødskov, from the center-left Social Democrats, said, “The call to prayer should not be heard over Danish rooftops.”

He told Danish media that the Islamic call to prayer, known as the adhan and performed five times daily, “has no place in Denmark.”

He added: “You shouldn’t be in any doubt whether you’ve ended up in a suburb of Islamabad when you walk around Denmark.”

In parts of Denmark, including areas of Copenhagen, local regulations already prohibit the call to prayer from being broadcast over loudspeakers from minarets because of strict noise restrictions.

CONSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGES

Yet any attempt to ban the public call to prayer could face legal hurdles, as the government weighs religious freedom against the rights of residents living near mosques.

Supporters of the Islamic call to prayer compare it to the ringing of church bells and note that the adhan begins with the words “Allahu Akbar,” which they say translates as “God is greater” or “God is greatest.”

However, several Christian advocacy groups argue that the Islamic call to prayer should not be compared to church bells because, unlike bells, it contains spoken declarations they regard as claims of religious superiority.

They note that the adhan proclaims that Allah is God and that Muhammad is His messenger. Those groups argue that this declaration is incompatible with the Christian understanding of God manifested in Jesus Christ.

The Danish constitution enshrines the right to public worship, but there are exceptions, including restrictions on anti-democratic preaching and donations to banned organizations.

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM DEBATE

It remains unclear whether the public Islamic call to prayer could be declared illegal under Denmark’s current constitutional framework.

The minister said the government will resume an investigation into the legality of imposing such a ban, following similar efforts by the Social Democrats in 2020 and 2025.

The debate comes amid broader concern among several European politicians about immigration, particularly the arrival of asylum seekers from predominantly Muslim countries.

Germany and parts of Britain already regulate when mosques may broadcast the call to prayer and impose volume limits to avoid disturbing nearby residents.

France has also experienced public opposition to the practice.

EUROPE’S MIGRATION POLICIES

Denmark, a nation of about six million people, is home to an estimated 270,000 Muslims.

However, very few asylum seekers have entered Denmark in recent years after the country imposed some of Europe’s toughest migration policies.

A historically low number of just 839 asylum applications were approved by Danish authorities in 2025. In 2024, Denmark approved 860 of the 2,333 asylum applications submitted that year.

The low figures reflect one of Europe’s strictest migration systems.

In some cases, asylum seekers must surrender jewelry and other valuables to help cover housing costs, while applicants whose claims are rejected receive no financial support.

STRICT MIGRATION RULES

Under its so-called “ghetto” legislation, Denmark has introduced measures requiring relocation from certain neighborhoods with high concentrations of non-Western immigrants.

At the height of Europe’s refugee crisis in 2015, when more than one million people fled the Middle East and other regions toward Europe, Denmark accepted far fewer asylum seekers than many neighboring countries.

The Danish government says the measures are necessary to safeguard national security and preserve the country’s generous welfare system for future generations.

A Christian woman in Indonesia who lives near several mosques welcomed Denmark’s move.

“As minority Christians in the world’s largest Muslim nation, we live with relentless Islamic calls to prayer every day. At the same time, the ringing of church bells is banned in several parts of the country,” she told Worthy News.

“I think Europe should wake up and, like Denmark, not forget its Christian heritage.”

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