Last Friday, Regina City Jamia Masjid broadcast their first live outdoor Athan, or Islamic call to prayer.

The City of Regina granted the mosque a permit for one month to deliver their call to prayer every Friday before Jummah, also known as noon prayer and lasts a few minutes. The call to prayer is recited five times a day for Muslims, reminding them to gather for worship.

The act itself was shared online which prompted threats through email and social media. The comments range from Islamophobia to threats against the mosque’s speaker.

Get breaking National news

Get breaking Canada news delivered to your inbox as it happens so you won’t miss a trending story.

Regina police say they will be looking into the threats as possible hate crimes and will increase RPS presence at Muslim gatherings.

“The City of Regina, they’re trying to bring multicultural diversity in the heart of downtown,” says M Anisur Rahaman, director of Regina City Masjid.

This isn’t the first time a city in North America practiced broadcasting the Islamic call to prayer.
A few years ago, Minneapolis was the first major U.S city to deliver the prayer five times a day and received a mixed response.

Regina City Jamia Masjid is currently undergoing renovations and preparing to welcome more people in the upcoming months. They also hope to welcome those with concerns to the mosque to answer questions and have a conversation about what the call to prayer means to Muslims.

Regina police say the permit will be in place until July 10, 2026, based on the city’s noise abatement bylaw, and will be reviewed accordingly once the month is completed.

&copy 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.