Denmark Reopens Legal Review of a Nationwide Ban on Mosque Call to Prayer

Denmark’s Immigration Minister Morten Bødskov said on Wednesday that the government will reopen its legal review of whether the Muslim call to prayer, the muezzin, can be banned nationwide from loudspeakers in public spaces. He said, “The call to prayer should not be heard over Danish rooftops,” adding, “It has no place in Denmark, and you shouldn’t be in any doubt whether you’ve ended up in a suburb of Islamabad when you walk around Denmark.”

The move would go beyond existing local restrictions, which already limit loudspeaker broadcasts in some places, including Copenhagen, because of strict noise rules. The government is now examining whether those local curbs can be expanded into a countrywide ban.

Bødskov, a Social Democratic minister from the center-left, argued that Islamic symbols are becoming more visible in Denmark’s public sphere. The effort is not new, similar attempts to block the muezzin call were made in 2020 and again in 2025, but none led to a sweeping law.

Denmark has about 6 million residents, including an estimated 270,000 Muslims. Around 100 mosques operate in the country, among them Copenhagen’s largest mosque, which does not currently broadcast the call to prayer under an agreement with local authorities.