Regina mosque pauses amplified “call to prayer” in downtown core
Police previously warned they would prosecute threats against Muslims under updated anti-hate laws.
A downtown Regina mosque will no longer amplify the Islamic call to prayer, after it was briefly broadcast for three minutes last week with police approval.
“Based on that, we thought that it’s not wise to continue until we know exactly what we are doing,” Regina City Jamia Masjid director M. Anisur Rahaman told reporters Friday.
The director said complaints began last week after a viral social media post triggered online vitriol and threats, including calls to remove the speakers, leaving some in the Muslim community feeling unsafe.
Police previously warned they would prosecute threats against Muslims under updated anti-hate laws.
Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act, aims to strengthen hate crime laws, protect access to religious and cultural spaces, and criminalize the public display of hate or terrorist symbols. It received royal assent on Jun. 18.
