Hamtramck Michigan - First Majority Muslim City Government Elected In US...

[Selene]

This is going to be extremely interesting to follow because of a local conflict, in law, of two predominately different cultures and religions:

Calls to prayer now ring out from speakers on the roof of at least one (1) of the four (4) mosques in a town of 22,000, packed into two (2) square miles. As the reporter noted, "At one point as she spoke, a mosque close to Dunn’s house began broadcasting the call to prayer. 'You try reading a book in your back yard while your dog is barking to that,' Dunn said, clearly exasperated."

The discord intensified in the weeks before the election, beginning when several senior citizens living in an apartment complex complained about the volume of the 6 a.m. call to prayer from a nearby mosque.

"Business owners within 500 feet of one of Hamtramck’s four mosques can’t obtain a liquor license, she complained, a notable development in a place that flouted Prohibition-era laws by openly operating bars. The restrictions could thwart efforts to create an entertainment hub downtown, said the pro-commerce mayor."

The once-thriving factory town now struggles with one of the highest poverty rates in Michigan. In 2009, American Axle shut down its plant in Hamtramck, laying off hundreds of workers.

However, these "Blue Laws" are not unusual for communities in the US. I partially grew up in one of them in Wayne County, Pennsylvania, with the same 500' foot rule around the only church in the town.

A beautiful Episcopal Church with original Tiffany stained glass windows.

You can just see the stone wall and balcony of the bar at 2-3 o'clock in the picture on the left.

The reporter of the Hamtramck story did an excellent job of reportage, in my opinion, and concluded with the following simple, real world problems of neighborliness.

She paused to tell a shopper that the red plaid shirt he was trying on looked like a good fit before concluding aloud that the new conflicts in Hamtramck have less to do with ethnicity and religion and more about to do with what it means to be a good neighbor.

“We live on top of each other,” she said. “You can pass your plate through the window to the person next door.”

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[Wolf DeVoon]

The reporter of the Hamtramck story did an excellent job of reportage, in my opinion, and concluded with the following simple, real world problems of neighborliness.

She paused to tell a shopper that the red plaid shirt he was trying on looked like a good fit before concluding aloud that the new conflicts in Hamtramck have less to do with ethnicity and religion and more about to do with what it means to be a good neighbor.

“We live on top of each other,” she said. “You can pass your plate through the window to the person next door.”

I just finished reading that WaPo story. Very disconcerting. I've heard Muslim loudspeaker calls to prayer, always far too loud and distorted. Absolutely, undeniably disturbing the peace and moreover constitutes religious intimidation. Religious liberty does not include the right to assault the neighbors five times a day. Church bells once a week, okay. Carillons are borderline. No loudspeakers, except by permit for a specific occasion. No loud noises early or late.

What's happening to Hamtramck is outrageous. http://www.aclumich.org/article/aclu-michigan-hamtramck-noise-ordinance-still-needs-work

[Selene]

The reporter of the Hamtramck story did an excellent job of reportage, in my opinion, and concluded with the following simple, real world problems of neighborliness.

She paused to tell a shopper that the red plaid shirt he was trying on looked like a good fit before concluding aloud that the new conflicts in Hamtramck have less to do with ethnicity and religion and more about to do with what it means to be a good neighbor.

“We live on top of each other,” she said. “You can pass your plate through the window to the person next door.”

I just finished reading that WaPo story. Very disconcerting. I've heard Muslim loudspeaker calls to prayer, always far too loud and distorted. Absolutely, undeniably disturbing the peace and moreover constitutes religious intimidation. Religious liberty does not include the right to assault the neighbors five times a day. Church bells once a week, okay. Carillons are borderline. No loudspeakers, except by permit for a specific occasion. No loud noises early or late.

What's happening to Hamtramck is outrageous. http://www.aclumich.org/article/aclu-michigan-hamtramck-noise-ordinance-still-needs-work

The 6 AM is quite clearly a "nuisance."

The use of "amplifying" devices is also unacceptable.

The new amendment says: “The City shall permit ‘call to prayer,’ ‘church bells’ and other means of announcing religious meetings to be amplified between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. for a duration not to exceed five minutes (emphasis added).”

Hamtramck must first make the original ordinance constitutional. Then, to accommodate the needs of Muslims, Christians and members of other faiths, the city can create what are called “reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions.” These restrictions need to equally apply to other nonreligious but protected speech.

The American Civil Liberties Union does support reasonable efforts by the government to accommodate religious expression. This gets tricky and requires the balancing of important constitutional rights—the right to religious freedom and separation of church and state.

During the meetings of our own Constitutional convention in Philadelphia, it was a common practice to have "watchman."

I believe that part of their duties included calling out the "hour" of the day.

I could tolerate an unamplified human voice calling out prayer once at 6 AM.

However, that is me and I do not have a problem sleeping.

That still raises the issue that even that is too early, for any noise ordinance.

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nice article thanks

[Brant Gaede]

If my town won't defend me I'll defend me.

--Brant

don't live there