The City of Ottawa is exempting mosques from local noise bylaws during Ramadan to allow them to play a five-minute call to prayer at sundown, as the pandemic prevents people from gathering and hearing it inside. During Ramadan, many Muslims would normally observe the holy month by praying, fasting and holding community feasts at sundown to break those fasts. Mosques in Ottawa are now able to broadcast the call to prayer each evening at sundown, until the end of Ramadan on May 23. During Ramadan, Ahmed is observing the holy month online through a webpage called Virtual Ramadan. Ottawa's noise exemption follows similar moves by Toronto and Mississauga, Ont., which also gave permission to mosques to broadcast a sundown call to prayer during the pandemic.

Source: CBC News April 30, 2020 22:41 UTC