Regina Downtown call to prayer draws mixed public reaction

Some came to support it. Others came with concerns. A few simply wanted to hear for themselves what weeks of debate had been about.

About 20 people gathered outside Regina City Jamia Masjid as its outdoor call to prayer returned Friday following a pause, community consultation and the renewal of the mosque’s noise permit.

Read more:

• Downtown Regina mosque to resume call to prayer broadcast with English translation
• Regina police chief says law will guide decision on future permits for amplified call to prayer
• Saskatoon police investigate vandalism after eggs thrown at synagogue during service

The Islamic call to prayer was broadcast from the downtown mosque, followed by an English translation, a change mosque leaders introduced after hearing concerns that some people did not understand what was being said in Arabic.

When the broadcast ended, some people in the crowd applauded.

Joseph Reynolds was among those who came downtown to listen.

Reynolds, who described himself as both Indigenous and Christian, said he supports freedom of religion and multiculturalism but remains uneasy about broadcasting a spoken religious message into a public space.

“I do believe in freedom of thought. I do believe in freedom of religion,” Reynolds said.

His concerns are partly about the difference he sees between a spoken call to prayer and the ringing of church bells.

“There’s actually wording behind the chant,” Reynolds said. “Unlike the Roman Catholic or Anglican, (which) just has the ringing of the bells.”

He said he believes people should be free to practise their religion but questioned whether the call needs to be amplified outside the mosque.

“I just personally, my own opinion, sometimes I just think it should be kept inside the mosque,” Reynolds said.

But as he waited for the call to begin, Reynolds said another concern was weighing more heavily on him: the safety of the people inside.

The debate surrounding the mosque has previously included threatening comments online, and Reynolds said seeing attacks on other places of worship has made him wonder whether someone could target the Regina mosque.

“I’m just wondering, just kind of worried about copycats,” he said. “Couldn’t the same thing happen over here?”

Reynolds pointed to recent incidents targeting religious institutions elsewhere and said he worries anger over the call to prayer could cross a line.

“Is this mosque going to be spray-painted? Is it going to be egged?” he asked.

For Reynolds, opposing or questioning a public religious broadcast is different from targeting the people practising that faith.

“It’s like hatred toward the group,” he said.

He said his own Indigenous background also shapes how he views the question of religious expression.

“I think it should need some kind of equality,” Reynolds said, adding people should be able to raise concerns about how different faiths are represented in public.

He also questioned whether the earlier community survey was broad enough, saying people from across Regina travel downtown for work and should be able to express their views.

“Everybody should have an opinion upon this because people come from all different parts of the city and they come work downtown,” he said.

Craig MacMillan also came to the mosque before the broadcast.

MacMillan’s reasons were different. He said he wanted to speak about his own religious beliefs but said he did not object to Muslims praying publicly.

“If they want to pray to Allah, they can pray to Allah,” MacMillan said.

He said his purpose in attending was to express his own faith rather than stop the mosque from expressing theirs.

“It’s a public place,” he said.

The return of the broadcast marks the latest chapter in a debate that began after Regina City Jamia Masjid first tested an outdoor call to prayer earlier this summer.

The mosque later paused the broadcasts and held an open house and survey, inviting people who live and work downtown to ask questions and share their views face to face.

Mosque director M. Anisur Rahaman has said much of the criticism initially appeared online, while in-person conversations were generally respectful.

The mosque ultimately decided to resume the Friday broadcast with an English translation following the Arabic call.

Friday’s crowd reflected the range of opinions that have surrounded the issue from the beginning.

Some people came out of curiosity. Some came opposed to the public broadcast. Others supported the mosque’s right to make the call.

And for Reynolds, the issue remained complicated.

He said he can support multiculturalism, question the use of loudspeakers and still worry about the safety of the people inside the mosque.

“I’m okay with multiculturalism,” Reynolds said. “I’m okay with diversity.”

What he does not want, he said, is disagreement over religion turning into something more dangerous.

Read more:

• Downtown Regina mosque to resume call to prayer broadcast with English translation
• Regina police chief says law will guide decision on future permits for amplified call to prayer
• Saskatoon police investigate vandalism after eggs thrown at synagogue during service