Danish Government to Ban Call to Prayer in Public Spaces

Immigration and Integration Minister Morten Bødskov is continuing an investigation into whether the call to prayer in public spaces can be banned or restricted. Bødskov is the third Social Democratic minister to lead the inquiry into the matter, which was previously paused due to a general crisis.

Bødskov stated the ban is being pursued on the grounds that some parts of the country feel like the ‘suburbs of Islamabad’. The centre-left Social Democrat said the new government will resume the investigation into the legality of imposing such a ban.

‘The call to prayer should not be heard above the rooftops in Denmark,’ the minister told Ritzau media. ‘It has no place in Denmark, and you should not be in doubt whether you are in a suburb of Islamabad when you walk around Denmark.’

In some parts of the country, such as Copenhagen, local regulations already prohibit the broadcast of the call to prayer from loudspeakers on mosque minarets due to strict noise limits. Bødskov also claimed that creeping ‘Islamisation’ in Denmark ‘is taking up too much public space’. This marks the third attempt at such a ban by the Social Democratic Party, following efforts in 2020 and 2025.