Islamic call to prayer blares over loudspeakers in French cities for Eid al-Adha

In the Val-de-Marne commune of Bry-sur-Marne, numerous residents contacted the mayor’s office to report disturbances caused by prayer calls emanating from a neighboring municipality, according to Valeurs Actuelles. The amplified religious broadcasts were heard throughout much of the town.

Teachers at a local middle school sent a formal letter to the town hall expressing their concern about the incident. With classroom windows open due to warm weather, staff reported hearing continuous broadcasts of Muslim prayers at high volume between 7:30 and 9:30 in the morning. The educators characterized the situation as a form of proselytism and stated that teaching conditions were significantly disrupted. They argued that conducting classes for over an hour and a half with recitations and preaching in the background constituted a violation of laïcité, France’s principle of secularism.

Mayor Charles Aslangul addressed the incident through his social media channels, noting that if the prayers were audible throughout the entire city, the sound level of the loudspeakers must have been set excessively high, far beyond what would be necessary for worshippers alone. Writing on his X account, the mayor questioned the motivation behind such intense audio levels. Aslangul has formally contacted the Val-de-Marne prefecture requesting that, while respecting freedom of worship, residents of the communes should not be forced to participate in religious services from their homes against their will.

The mayor emphasized that while the Republic guarantees free exercise of worship regardless of faith, it does not authorize cities to be literally flooded with religious sounds that belong to the private and intimate sphere, calling such practices intolerable.

Nantes Reports Similar Incidents Spanning Several Kilometers

Bry-sur-Marne appears not to be an isolated case. In Nantes, residents similarly reported disruptions lasting approximately one hour, as Valeurs Actuelles reports. A police source confirmed receiving around thirty complaints about the incident. One local entrepreneur active in civic life questioned which service or person authorized the Nantes Nord mosque to broadcast prayers at full volume at 6:00 in the morning when all residents had windows open due to the heat.

Another resident stated that an Islamic call to prayer had been resounding since 6:00 in Nantes East, in violation of the law. The Nantes national police, in contact with local residents, indicated that the noise disturbances extended over several kilometers, making intervention more complex. One social media user commented that hundreds of Nantes residents had received a preview of sharia.

Religious Justifications for Amplified Calls

Within Islam, the use of loudspeakers is recommended according to certain Muslim websites. Some radical elements even consider it mandated by sharia law, as it helps fulfill certain objectives prescribed by sharia, particularly the elevation of voice during the adhan, or Islamic call to prayer.

With information from Valeurs Actuelles