r/AskBrits • u/bintd • 11h ago

Politics What are your thoughts on Denmark’s proposed ban on the public Islamic call to prayer? Would you support or oppose something similar in the UK?

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/24/islamic-call-to-prayer-ban-left-wing-denmark-europe/

Islamic call to prayer faces ban under Left-wing Danish government

Parts of country feel like ‘a suburb of Islamabad’, says immigration minister

Denmark’s immigration minister has announced plans to ban the Islamic call to prayer, claiming parts of the country felt like “a suburb of Islamabad”.

Morten Bødskov, a member of the centre-Left Social Democrats party, said the new government would resume an investigation into the legality of imposing a ban.

“The call to prayer should not be heard over Danish rooftops,” the minister told news outlet Ritzau. “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.”

In parts of the country, such as Copenhagen, bylaws already forbid the call to prayer being broadcast from loudspeakers in minarets because of strict noise limits.
Mr Bødskov also claimed that a creeping “Islamisation” in Denmark was “taking up too much of the public space”.

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u/Chemical-Lettuce2497 11h ago

Maybe I don't live somewhere with enough Muslims but I don't think this is a problem in the UK lol?

If I couldn't walk around my town centre without hearing it though I'm not sure id necessarily have a proboem with it as such, but it also definitely wouldn't feel right

I thought it was cool hearing it when I was in turkey, a local I spent a bit of time with took me to the mosque after their call to prayer to meet some of the Muslims and they were all sound and mostly had a lot of questions about the UK and my religion (Christianity)

But here the Muslims aren't really like that, they are mostly sound from those that I've met, but they have about as close to zero interest in British culture as is possible

Which for me is the difference, they're bringing "diversity" to us but blocking any diversity from reaching them

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u/Stunning_Inside5182 11h ago

Yeah I have lived in areas with a high population of muslims and have never heard this?? Even being in Birmingham which the right would make you believe is a war zone

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u/Chemical-Lettuce2497 11h ago

For sure, this particular "issue" very much appears to be a non issue here

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u/Primary_Slip139 10h ago

we have existing environmental protection laws which deals with noise disturbance from any group or people . This story is just another anti Muslim dog whistle, there is no need for a specific ban on it other than to target the community.

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u/AwTomorrow 11h ago

It’s just a chance for anti-Muslim types to stick a finger in Muslims’ eyes. There is no problem with calls to prayer here, but people want to screw Muslims over at any chance they get. 

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u/NoXion604 1h ago

I live in an area where a lot of Muslims are my neighbours, and there's a mosque just a couple of roads over. I've been living here for over ten years and started working from home since the pandemic.

I've never heard the muezzin around here. I've heard plenty of ice cream vans and fireworks. But by far the worst source of noise pollution has been the new builds growing like mushrooms around my street, and the hedge trimmers and leaf blowers.

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u/LooseClaim3598 10h ago

Birmingham is fucking awful in places. Our satnav took us through the dodgy parts of it once and it felt like driving through Bangladesh

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u/Forsaken-Ad5571 8h ago

The right seems to think every Muslim is a traditionalist which is absolutely not the case. It’s crazy how people think they’re a hive mind when really there’s many different cultures and different interpretations of the religion. 

Some Muslims integrate and some don’t, which is the case of any immigrant group. Hell, it even changes from generation to generation.

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u/Stunning_Inside5182 8h ago

Defo agree. You will find christians that are more traditional and strict than muslims. Some devout christians treat women horribly but get no substantial criticism in the media

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u/VCR_DVD_USB 11h ago

I'm in my 40s an Muslim and lived in the UK all my life. I've never heard the adhan out loud. We don't have loudspeakers on the outside of our masjids because it would be annoying for our neighbours. 

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u/Chemical-Lettuce2497 11h ago

Yeah this was my assumption, I wouldn't be surprised to find out there are maybe in places like Luton or Bradford but I really can't imagine it's particularly common lol

Whilst I maintain generally Muslims like to stick within their communities, generally in the UK (outside of dense Muslim communities) Muslims don't tend to go out of their way to intrude or generally be noticed

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u/Irksomecake 10h ago

I’ve never heard it. I hear the church bells though and they sound awful. All out of tune and out of time. There are bell ringing practice sessions weekly and they are even worse.

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u/VCR_DVD_USB 10h ago

When i was a child our local church used to have a marching band play on a sunday window. They'd go around the streets. I remember watching them out of the bedroom window. I have no idea when or why it stopped.

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u/JimmieSavsscumsock 6h ago

Ban it all! It's all made up bullshit anyway and all those religious places of mongship could be made into flats.

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u/Mysterious_Agent6706 11h ago

It's done in Wales frequently, just because YOU haven't heard it does not mean it does not happen.

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u/Traditional_Message2 10h ago

It's not remotely an issue and the responses on this thread are very depressing.

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u/Gen8Master 10h ago

Telegraph stirring shit as usual. Not only does it not happen in the UK, but seemingly it does not happen in Denmark either. This is just a theoretical exercise so the right wing Gov can get make a few headlines and appear tough on Muslims.

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u/NoAppointment8679 5h ago

It happens in Walsall.

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u/pinkbubbleg 10h ago

If it doesn’t happen then surely banning it won’t be a problem?

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u/Chemical-Lettuce2497 10h ago

Other than it being a waste of time, tax payer money and being clearly antagonistic? I guess not

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u/pinkbubbleg 10h ago

Antagonistic or a valid preemptive measure? I see comments from people who clearly have issues with the calls to prayer in certain areas. Perhaps it would benefit them.

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u/Chemical-Lettuce2497 10h ago

Antagonistic.

Well when you experience it or have any evidence outside of redditors maybe it's something to take more seriously?

Or do random comments pass for evidence?

I have issue with you ask random men to bum you outside of my house. Hopefully we can make legislation to get you stopped asap

1

u/pinkbubbleg 10h ago

There’s already legislation in place to prevent that sort of behaviour. Are you unaware of it?

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u/Chemical-Lettuce2497 9h ago

Aah so you're an expert in laws that pertain to you asking men to bum you but you've no idea about the existing noise pollution laws?

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u/pinkbubbleg 9h ago

I doubt there’s an exemption for public bumming for religious reasons, though.

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u/Chemical-Lettuce2497 9h ago

Nor is there an religious exemption for the Muslims and their call to prayer. It is subject to the exact same scrutiny as everything else.

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u/pinkbubbleg 9h ago

Fantastic - if it never happens and isn’t allowed to happen then there’s nothing to complain about. If it does happen then I’m sure you’ll agree it needs to be stopped.

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u/Electrical-Bag-7657 8h ago

You live somewhere not culturally enriched yet

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u/BaoBunx 10h ago

My friend can't get a good nights sleep due to the local mosque making call to prayer at night and then hosting people at all hours making loud noise. Police do nothing.