OIC Condemns Israeli Bill Banning Azan

The Secretariat General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has condemned the Israeli Knesset’s preliminary approval of a draft law aimed at prohibiting the call to prayer, known as the ‘Muazzin Law’. The OIC considers the bill null and void, describing it as a discriminatory and racist legislative act that flagrantly violates freedom of religion and worship, as well as cultural and religious rights guaranteed under international law and international human rights law. The OIC stated that the bill marks a dangerous escalation in a series of Israeli laws, decisions, and policies targeting the Palestinian presence and Arab and Islamic identity. It considers this a direct attack on Islamic religious rituals and holy sites. The OIC further stressed that restricting the azan contradicts Israel’s obligations under international law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and other international instruments that protect the right to freely practice religious rituals without discrimination or restriction. The OIC urged the international community, particularly the United Nations, its specialised agencies, and all relevant international parties, to take urgent action to halt Israel’s illegal actions and policies, annul the bill and other discriminatory laws, ensure respect for freedom of worship and the protection of Muslim holy sites, and hold Israel, as the occupying power, accountable for its ongoing violations of international law and international legitimacy.