Islamic call to prayer tested in downtown Regina

The Regina City Jamia Masjid (RCJM) broadcasted its first live outdoor call to prayer on Friday. (Photo courtesy: M Anisur Rahaman)

Friday afternoon saw the Regina City Jamia Masjid (RCJM) broadcast its first live outdoor call to prayer.

At 1 p.m., they delivered their first live outdoor Adhan, also known as an Islamic call to prayer, before their weekly Jumu’ah congregational prayer.

The Friday call came from the former building of the Canadian Cancer Society Regina office, situated at 1910 McIntyre Street, just across from city hall.

“We believe that this will help us in Regina to be familiar and introduce the Regina City Jamia Masjid within the Muslim and the non-Muslim community because we are here at the heart of Regina downtown,” said M Anisur Rahaman.

Mosque officials said the outdoor call will last approximately two to three minutes, just on Fridays before Jumu’ah services.

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“We believe in multicultural diversity, and we appreciate the Regina Police Service for giving us permission to test this call to prayer with the loudspeaker on the rooftop to give us that permission for one month to test, to see how it is going before they actually issue a permit for a longer period of time,” Rahaman said.

The RCJM has a permit until the middle of July to use the outdoor calls, and then a permit until the end of the year. Rahaman said they’ll have to renew the permit every year.

Additionally, the building will be opening a childcare centre, Islamic school and masjid within the next year.

Rahaman said their masjid will be opening next month, the childcare centre at the beginning of August, and the Islamic school next year.

In terms of how far the call is expected to travel, Rahaman said that it will be within a one-kilometre radius from the building.