Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith Calls for Ban on Muslim Public Prayer

Indiana Lieutenant Governor Micah Beckwith, identified by commentators as a far-right Christian nationalist, reiterated his opposition to public expressions of Islam during a recent appearance on the *Conservative Review* podcast. Beckwith advocated prohibiting mosque loudspeakers and other visible Islamic practices, framing the stance as a political advantage for Republicans.

People for the American Way (PFAW)

Earlier this year, Beckwith sparked controversy by claiming he was giving Indiana residents “permission to hate” Islam. He later defended that position, asserting that attacking Islam is “a political winner” for his party. In the podcast interview, he cited the Supreme Court’s *Kennedy v. Bremerton School District* decision—often referred to in media as the “Coach Kennedy” case—to argue that the United States is a “Christian nation.” Legal analysts note that the Court’s ruling did not make such a declaration.

People for the American Way (PFAW)

Beckwith’s podcast remarks emphasized a desire to restrict Islamic public rituals. He argued that state authorities could prevent mosques from broadcasting the call to prayer, describing the sounds as “words of death and destruction” that should not be allowed in city streets. He also contrasted the permissibility of displaying the Ten Commandments in schools with a prohibition on placing the Quran on school walls, invoking “Judeo-Christian principles” as the basis for his position.

People for the American Way (PFAW)

The statements provoked widespread condemnation from civil-rights groups and political observers, who labeled the remarks as hateful and a mischaracterization of constitutional protections. Commentators highlighted the inconsistency between Beckwith’s claims and the Supreme Court’s actual ruling, emphasizing that the decision affirmed religious liberty rather than endorsing a singular national faith.

People for the American Way (PFAW)

• “We should ban the calls to prayer, public calls to prayer,” — Micah Beckwith, Lt. Governor of Indiana

People for the American Way (PFAW)

• “If you're a mosque and you want to have a loudspeaker and you want to start pumping these out five times a day locally, the state can say, 'You're not going to do that. We're not allowing that. We're not going to let you put these words of death and destruction throughout the city streets in any of our cities.'” — Micah Beckwith

People for the American Way (PFAW)

• “Listen, we are a Christian nation,” — Micah Beckwith

People for the American Way (PFAW)

• “' Everyone can worship how they want, but you don't get to implement Islam in our public spaces.” — Micah Beckwith

People for the American Way (PFAW)

• “You can't put the Quran up on school walls, but you can put the Ten Commandments up on school walls.” — Micah Beckwith

People for the American Way (PFAW)