Shouldn't sound like suburb of Islamabad: Denmark plans ban on azaan

Denmark has revived plans for a nationwide ban on the Islamic call to prayer - the azaan - amid growing anxieties over 'Islamisation' in the country, according to a report in The Daily Mail. The plan was announced by the country's hardline immigration minister Morten Bodskov, who emphasised that parts of the country have come to feel like "a suburb of Islamabad".

In unusually blunt remarks, Bodskov told Danish news agency Ritzau that creeping "Islamisation" in Denmark was taking up too much public space. Muslims account for around 5% of Denmark's population, making them the largest minority community. "The call to prayer should not be heard over Danish rooftops," the Leftist leader of the Social Democrats party said.

The remarks come at a time when Denmark has been pursuing some of Europe's toughest immigration policies under Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Earlier this year, Denmark passed a law banning the Islamic full-face veil in public spaces.

"It has no place in Denmark, and you shouldn't be in any doubt whether you have ended up in a suburb of Islamabad when you walk around Denmark," Bodskov further said.

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