New York greenlights Azan

New York City issued new guidance Tuesday allowing mosques (masjids) to broadcast the Muslim call to prayer on Fridays between 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. without obtaining a permit, Report informs via CNN.

According to the city, the guidance also allows the call to prayer to be broadcast in the evenings during Ramadan, a month-long period of fasting and prayer for the Muslim community.

“Today we are cutting red tape and saying clearly if you are a mosque or house of worship of any kind, you do not have to apply for a permit to amplify your call to Friday prayer. You are free to live your faith in NYC,” Mayor Eric Adams said while announcing the new guidance Tuesday.

The call to prayer is the Adhan, also spelled Azan, which is usually broadcast publicly over speakers or a public address system in a house of worship that summons members of the Muslim faith for prayer, a news release from the city said.