US-based Muslim group slams Israeli ban on ‘Azan’

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) on Monday condemned the Israeli action to ban the “Azan” at mosques in Israel, describing it as the latest Israeli act of war against Islam.

“Attacks on mosques, churches, cultural sites, and religious texts are all part of the decades-long Israeli campaign to erase Palestinian culture,” Nihal Awad, the national executive director of CAIR, said in a statement.

He added that waging war on Islam and Christianity has always been a major component of Israel’s genocide targeting the Palestinian people.

Awad emphasized that former US President Joe Biden’s support for Israel is the reason behind the suppression of religious liberties.

He called on the Islamic countries to take concrete actions to end the Israeli regime’s genocide.

Awad’s remarks came after Israel’s far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir ordered police to ban mosques in Israel from broadcasting the Azan.

In a video post on X, Ben-Gvir said police needed “to address and enforce the issue of noise in mosques.”

Under the minister’s instructions, police are allowed to enter mosques and confiscate loudspeaker equipment if found to be in use. Mosques broadcasting the call to prayer would also be fined.

CAIR also demanded that the Biden administration condemn Ben-Gvir’s call for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza.